- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jun 30, 2022
- Event Description
A digital artist was arrested at her home on Thursday (30 June) on a royal defamation charge, after charges were filed against her for a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn published on Instagram in September 2021.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that 11 police officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) raided the home of 27-year-old Thopad Atanan, an independent digital artist who often posted artwork about the pro-democracy movement, and arrested her for royal defamation under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code and for importing into into a computer system data which is an offense against national security under Section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act. TLHR noted that Thopad never received a summons in the 9 months since the alleged offence before being arrested.
The police presented an arrest warrant and a search warrant, and confiscated a computer, a painting, and a mobile phone. They declined to let anyone photograph the arrest warrant and the search warrant.
According to the TCSD inquiry officer, the charges are related to a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn which was posted on Instagram on 16 September 2021. The police said that the portrait defamed the King, and that their investigation shows that the Instagram account is likely to belong to Thopad, so they requested the Criminal Court for an arrest warrant. Thopad denied all charges and said she will submit her testimony at a later date.
The inquiry officer then took Thopad to court for a temporary detention request via a teleconference system, claiming that the police still have to interview 4 additional witness, check her computer and mobile phone, and her criminal record. The Court approved the request, but granted her bail on a 90,000-baht security, covered by the Will of the People Fund, a bail fund for people facing charges for participating in the pro-democracy movement.
The Court ordered Thopad to appoint a supervisor and required her to present a letter of consent from her supervisor by Friday (1 July). The Court also set the conditions that she must not repeat her offense and must report to her supervisor every 15 days. She must also report to the court on 17 August 2022.
According to TLHR, at least 208 people has been charged with royal defamation since November 2020, more than half of whom has been charged for their online political expression.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Artist, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 30, 2022
- Event Description
An appellate court in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh upheld a lower court’s decision not to return the passport of Yeang Sothearin, citing an ongoing investigation into the former RFA editor and reporter, he told RFA.
Yeang Sothearin, who also worked as a news anchor for RFA’s Khmer Service, was taken into custody in November 2017 along with Uon Chhin, who was an RFA photographer and videographer.
They were charged with “illegally collecting information for a foreign source” after RFA closed its bureau in the capital in September that year amid a government crackdown on independent media. They have since been charged with additional crimes.
If convicted of the first charge, they could face a jail term of between seven and 15 years. They remain out on bail but in legal limbo after a series of appeals have been rejected by courts.
Yeang Sothearin said the court’s decision would prevent him from visiting his ailing father, an ethnic Cambodian living in southern Vietnam, or participating in NGO activities outside of Cambodia.
“I told the court that it has been five years, it is a long time and I don’t know when it will end,” Yeang Sothearin told RFA’s Khmer Service.
“There is no indication from the judge of when the investigation will end and they won’t tell me when my passport will be returned, so how can I live? I will use my rights to demand [my passport],” he said.
He said that he will appeal again by taking the case to Cambodia’s Supreme Court.
The decision not to return the passport violates Yeang Sothearin’s rights because the case has been delayed for many years and has not yet reached conclusion, Ny Sokha, president of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (Adhoc) told RFA.
He said the delay affects both Yeang Sothearin and Uon Chhin.
“We don’t see any indication that they want to avoid the court or flee overseas. They have houses here and they want the freedom to travel to make a living. I don’t see any reason to restrict their freedom,” he said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Restrictions on Movement, Travel Restriction
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 29, 2022
- Event Description
The Koh Kong Provincial Court placed seven Botum Sakor residents under court supervision for alleged incitement and occupying state land, after the group returned to land they used to live on before it was given to a sugar plantation.
The court summoned seven people — Pheap Teng, Noy Sok, Ton Lay, Touch Ngann, Khung Roch, Long Moeun and Chhorm Nern — on Wednesday and placed them under court supervision, according to court documents. Only the first five attended the hearing.
They are facing charges of incitement, under articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code, and infringement of state property related to articles 17 and 259 of the Land Law.
The group returned to land in Botum Sakor’s Kandol commune in January, which was given in 2006 to a sugar plantation owned by business tycoon Ly Yong Phat. The group said they had not received compensation for the land and were reclaiming it by building small shelters.
The court order states that investigating judge Lor Krem placed them on bail to ensure they would not interfere in the investigation, would attend future hearings and would not change their address without informing the court.
Pheap Teng, a village representative and one of the seven people, said the court’s decision was an attempt to thwart their protests, and was a biased decision.
“I think that the court makes decisions with a bias for the powerful and rich person, because we are victims and really lost the land and they use the judicial system to pressure us,” she said. “Especially when our community heard that they were being sued in court, they worried. They don’t dare to protest even though they unfairly lost their land.”
Koh Kong court spokesperson Vei Phirum could not be reached for comment.
Botum Sakor district governor Hak Leng said officials had repeatedly said they would not find a solution for the group, but the residents kept protesting.
Noy Sok, who is also under court supervision, said authorities had not helped them with a resolution. The disputants were given no compensation and have instead been threatened with violence, he said.
“They said if I dared to protest on that land, they would shoot, they would arrest and imprison [me]. So our people dare not to protest,” she said.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to property
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jun 29, 2022
- Event Description
Junta authorities arrested three more Mandalay-based lawyers representing political detainees on Wednesday as they returned home from court hearings inside the city’s prison, according to sources within the local legal network.
The detainees—identified as Tin Win Aung, his wife Thae Su Naing, and Thuta—were reportedly leaving Obo Prison after attending hearings for their clients within the closed court there.
Three of their local colleagues spoke to Myanmar Now on the condition of anonymity and confirmed their arrests to Myanmar Now. At the time of reporting it was not known where they were being held in junta custody or why they had been specifically targeted.
“We still don’t know the details of their arrests. I only heard that Thuta’s vehicle was also seized,” one of the lawyers said.
Following the February 2021 military coup, lawyers representing jailed activists and political opponents of the military have also faced threats to their personal security for challenging the practice of arbitrary detentions in a junta-controlled judiciary.
While the number of lawyers detained across the country is unknown, attorneys in Mandalay said that at least 10 of their colleagues had been arrested since the coup and dozens more are wanted by the military authorities.
Among the detainees is 43-year-old Ywet Nu Aung, a prominent lawyer arrested on April 28. She was representing jailed Mandalay chief minister Zaw Myint Maung and other leaders of the ousted National League For Democracy (NLD) government at the time of her arrest. She was later charged with violating the Counterterrorism Law for allegedly providing funding to an armed resistance group, and was transferred to the Obo Prison in May.
Days before Ywet Nu Aung’s arrest, Si Thu, another lawyer known for helping farmers in land disputes with the military, was beaten by soldiers in front of his wife and children before being taken away from his home in Chanayethazan Township.
Last December, attorney Lwin Lwin Mar and three other lawyers—all women—were also jailed by junta authorities.
Following the series of arrests, lawyers representing junta opponents have reportedly become hesitant to go to their clients’ hearings inside Obo Prison.
Lawyers have been targeted outside of Mandalay as well. In the military’s administrative capital of Naypyitaw, Thein Hlaing Tun—who was representing Myo Aung, the ousted mayor under the NLD—was detained after leaving a court hearing in May 2021. Similarly, two lawyers for deposed Karen State chief minister Nang Khin Htwe Myint were arrested and charged with incitement in June.
The military council has placed a gag order on the lawyers of incarcerated State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and the NLD’s chief ministers in an effort to restrict information released concerning their trials and charges.
As of Friday, Myanmar’s military council had detained more than 14,000 people since the coup, of whom 3,000 had been released.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to work
- HRD
- Lawyer, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Timor Leste
- Initial Date
- Jun 29, 2022
- Event Description
Raimundos Oki, chief editor of news portal Oekusipost.com, has been accused of breaching judicial secrecy following an investigative report concerning the detention and forced virginity testing of 30 underage girls in 2020. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the charges and calls on the Timor-Leste government to immediately rescind the case.
On June 29, Oki received a telephone call from an officer at the Criminal Investigation Scientific Police (Polícia Científica de Investigação Criminal), instructing him to appear before police the following day. The journalist exercised his right to silence during the minute meeting.
Oki faces charges for allegedly breaching ‘judicial confidentiality’ under Article 291 of Timor Leste’s Timor Code, with a penalty of one to six years imprisonment, for a report that argued several virginity tests were forcibly conducted on inmates at the Topu Honis Shelter in Kutet, Oecusse.
The report centered on evidence-gathering practices during the trial of Richard Daschbach, an American priest in Timor-Leste, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in December 2021 for sexually abusing children under his care.
According to Oki’s report, the public prosecution ordered several local NGOs and police to detain around 30 underage girls for two weeks and performed forced virginity tests in June 2020.
Speaking to UCA News on July 1, Oki said, “When almost all media, including international media, focused on the former priest, I tried to bring up the other side, about the forced virginity test... I happen to be from Oecusse and I found those 30 girls. I spoke to them, and they admitted to being forced to undergo a virginity test.”
In 2017, the Oki faced a year imprisonment for defamation following an article published by the Timor Post published in 2016, which referred to the then Prime Minister of Timor Leste, Rui Maria de Araujo, in his previous role as advisor to the Minister for Finance. According to the article, Araujo recommended the winning bid for a project to supply and install computer equipment for the new Ministry of Finance building in 2014. In June 2017, a Dili judge dismissed all charges against Oki at the Dili Court.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 28, 2022
- Event Description
On the last two days of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an order affirming one more time its decision to revoke the certificates of incorporation of Rappler.
“The company registration and monitoring department is hereby directed to effect the revocation of the certificates of incorporation in the records and system of the Commission,” read part of the order dated June 28, and signed by SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino; and Commissioners Javey Paul Francisco, Kelvin Lester Lee, Karlo Bello, and McJill Bryant Fernandez.
What does this mean? “We have existing legal remedies all the way up to the highest court of the land. It is business as usual for us since, in our view, this is not immediately executory without court approval,” said Rappler in its statement on Wednesday, June 29.
In a statement on Wednesday, the SEC said: “In this light, the latest order issued by the Commission En Banc merely puts in effect its earlier decision and those of the Court of Appeals.”
This comes after the National Security Council (NSC) blocked news websites, including Bulatlat.com, using the feared anti-terror law. Reasons
In July 2018, the Court of Appeals (CA) issued a decision siding with the findings of the SEC that Rappler’s issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) to foreign investor Omidyar constituted some amount of foreign control that was prohibited by the Constitution. The Constitution requires that media companies should have zero foreign control.
But in the same decision, the CA said that when Omidyar donated its PDRs to Rappler’s Filipino managers, “the negative foreign control found objectionable by the SEC appears to have been permanently removed.” The CA remanded the case to the SEC to reevaluate, with a nudge to the Corporation Code’s clause allowing companies to have a grace period to cure their alleged defects.
The SEC stood by its findings in February 2021. Rappler filed a motion for reconsideration before the SEC. This latest order is an action to that motion.
SEC said in this latest order: “Considering that the object of the Donation (the Omidyar PDRs) was void for being contrary to law, the Donation itself was void under Article 1409(1) of the Civil Code for being contrary to law and public policy.”
SEC said that when the CA remanded the case, the appellate court did not order to reinvestigate but only to reevaluate. Rappler asked the SEC to receive additional evidence.
“The Commission’s compliance with the said directive could not have violated the due process rights of Rappler and RHC because, by the very nature and essence of the directive, Rappler and RHC were not entitled to participate in the said legal evaluation,” said the SEC.
In February 2019, the CA affirmed its 2018 decision. By September 2019, the Supreme Court issued a resolution declaring the case closed and terminated. The CA registered its books of entry of judgment, declaring it had attained finality in March 2019.
“Public interest will be served if the revocation of the Certificate of Incorporation of Rappler and Rappler Holdings Corporation is sustained because it will implement the policy of respecting and fully complying with the provisions of the Constitution, to which every Filipino owes allegiance,” said the SEC in its order.
Rappler told its staff in an internal memo sent late night Tuesday: “Clarity, agility, sobriety. Review our drills and the tasks assigned to you.”
“Meantime, it is business as usual for us. We will adapt, adjust, survive and thrive.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to work
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 27, 2022
- Event Description
NagaWorld protestors were met with violence by security personnel on the streets of Phnom Penh Monday afternoon, after weeks of their protests proceeding relatively subdued.
Police and district guards pulled and shoved about 100 workers Monday afternoon at the intersection of Sothearos and Sihanouk boulevards, as they attempted to make their way to NagaWorld casino to resume their protests.
The workers walked north on Sothearos Boulevard, arms locked together, when they were met with dozens of police officers and security guards. The protestors resisted as police tried to break through the workers, only managing to pull away one or two at a time. They were shoved into waiting city buses, according to Facebook livestreams taken by the workers.
“I am a woman, I have nothing. We are all women, we have nothing,” one of the workers could be heard saying.
Police continued to pull at the workers and shove them, with people in plain clothes and deputy Phnom Penh governor Mean Chanyada yelling orders at security personnel. In the background of the livestream, district security guards could be seen blocking U.N. observers.
The police officers and city officials could be seen pointing to the pavement and asking the workers to move off the street.
Suddenly, the plainclothes officials ordered police and security guards to retreat behind a barricade and after a few minutes the bus that was being filled with workers was also driven away empty.
The worker stayed behind the barriers, chanting slogans and calling out to Hun Sen to intervene in the case. They left just before 5 p.m. and said they would continue the protest on Tuesday.
The workers have been protesting since December 2021, with recent protests seeing workers reach the casino complex and compliantly board buses. The buses normally drive around the city before workers are let off at the new Freedom Park in Russei Keo.
Keut Chhe, Phnom Penh municipality spokesperson, denied officials used violence against the protestors. He said it was illegal to protest on the streets because it caused traffic and that protestors had been asked to continue their protest at Freedom Park.
Authorities have regularly blocked traffic with barriers to seal off the major intersections to apprehend the protestors, often closing the major roadway for hours at a time.
“The authorities never [used] violence with protestors. But the protestors did not listen to the authorities’ orders,” Chhe said. “The authorities also got small injuries too and lost some of their equipment as well.”
Sin Sreynich, one of the workers, said plainclothes officials were the ones hitting and shoving workers, and were reluctant to listen to the workers.
“They were not listening to us. We tried to compromise with them and talk kindly,” she said.
Has Rithyratana, another worker at the protest, said she was scared but that the workers were united in continuing the strike.
The union, Labor Ministry and NagaWorld have gone through multiple rounds of negotiations, all ending in no resolution. The union’s key demand is for reinstatement of about 200 workers who have refused to accept compensation. The casino company has been more willing to negotiate other demands.
Workers were terminated last year sparking near-daily protests in the capital. Nine union leaders and workers were arrested earlier this year but released on court supervision.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Singapore
- Initial Date
- Jun 24, 2022
- Event Description
Several people, including activists Kirsten Han and Rocky Howe, are under investigation for three public assemblies held outside Changi Prison Complex and in nearby Mariam Walk.
In a statement on Sunday (June 26), the police said Ms Han and Mr Howe were interviewed on Friday (June 24) as part of investigations into the assemblies.
T-shirts with anti-death penalty slogans that Ms Han and Mr Howe wore on the day of the interview were relevant to the probe, the police added in response to queries.
Both Ms Han and Mr Howe had agreed to hand them over after they were told the T-shirts would be required for investigations, the statement said.
In addition, the police said they were also advised by the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) to investigate if any further offences had been committed by Ms Han and Mr Howe, who are both Singaporean.
"In response to specific media queries, the police can confirm that the AGC, having reviewed the facts, has advised that Ms Han and Mr Howe did not commit any offences, by reason of the T-shirts they wore, when they came for the police interview," the police added.
When asked, the police declined to say who else is being investigated for the three public assemblies, citing the ongoing inquiry.
The police also did not say when the assemblies were held.
In several online posts last week, Ms Han, who is a freelance journalist, said she and Mr Howe were questioned over allegations that they had taken part in two public assemblies without a permit between March 29 and April 25.
Taking part in a public assembly without a police permit is illegal in Singapore and is an offence under the Public Order Act. First-time offenders can be fined up to $3,000, while repeat offenders face a fine of up to $5,000.
According to Ms Han, police said the first alleged illegal assembly was when she and three others had gathered outside Changi Prison the night before 68-year-old Singaporean Abdul Kahar Othman was hanged for drug trafficking on March 30.
The second alleged illegal assembly was when Ms Han and three others had posed for photos outside Changi Prison two nights before the execution of Malaysian Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam on April 27, she added.
For these alleged offences, Ms Han, who is in her 30s, and Mr Howe, wh
Ms Han said the anti-death penalty T-shirts she and Mr Howe wore to the interview were confiscated by the police, who allegedly claimed that the pair had participated in an illegal procession because they walked across the street to the police station while wearing them.
Writing in her online newsletter on Saturday (June 25), Ms Han added: "I was made to call our friend Soh Lung, who was waiting for us in the foyer, to get her to go to the market to buy us new shirts, so that we could change and surrender our T-shirts."
She was referring to Ms Teo Soh Lung, a former political detainee who has also been posting updates about the investigation into Ms Han on social media.
In her post, Ms Han also took issue with a police officer who had asked that she surrender her social media accounts and provide the police with the passwords to access them.
This was after Ms Han had agreed to surrender her phone, but not before she had logged out of, or uninstalled, her social media applications.
Ms Han said when she refused, she was warned that Section 39 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) "might come into play".
The police, in their statement on Sunday, said only that Ms Han's and Mr Howe's mobile phones were seized for forensic examination as part of investigations.
Under Section 39 of the CPC, police officers have the power to access, inspect and check the operation of a "computer" used in connection with an arrestable offence.
The police officer may also order persons using, or who have used, the computer to assist the police in gaining access to it, including providing any username, password or other authentication information required.
Any person who obstructs the lawful exercise of any power under the section by a police officer, or fails to comply with an order under it, can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Media Worker, Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jun 24, 2022
- Event Description
Still as usual, agrarian conflicts that never met the bright spot again led to criminalization and the arrest of a number of people.
The latest agrarian conflict in Talisayan, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan involving the Dayak Marjun indigenous community and a palm oil plantation company named PT Tanjung Buyuh Perkasa Plantation (TBPP) which has been going on since 2004 led to the criminalization and arrest of a number of residents by the police.
In a statement released by the National Committee for Agrarian Reform (KNPA) on June 24, 2022, the arrest of Talisayan residents was based on a PT TBPP report accusing residents of harvesting and stealing palm oil belonging to PT TBPP, 6 residents were subject to Article 363 of the Criminal Code regarding theft.
KNPA also spoke loudly through its release which was received by the media crew. KNPA noted in its release that the harvesting of palm oil by the indigenous Dayak Marjun community on their ulayat lands cannot be called a case of theft using a criminal law approach.
Because if you look back, the reason behind the action of harvesting palm oil by the community is because PT TBPP has planted oil palm outside its HGU boundaries and has confiscated the Marjun customary area of approximately 1800 hectares.
The struggle of the Dayak Marjun indigenous people has been going on with various attempts to protest and reject the operational activities of PT TBPP which have confiscated customary land and damaged the environment. However, their efforts actually got a bad response.
They were directed to criminal charges. Whereas Article 66 of Law No. 32 of 2009 concerning Processing and Protection of the Living Environment (UU PPLH) explicitly states "Everyone who fights for the right to a good and healthy environment cannot be prosecuted criminally or be sued in a civil manner."
Responding to this incident, the Head of the Indonesian Human Rights Committee for Social Justice (IHCS) Jambi Province, Ahmad Azhari, requested that the indigenous Dayak Marjun community who had been arrested by the police be released immediately.
“It is not relevant to criminalize the efforts of the police against the Marjun indigenous people, they are not only subjects that have been regulated and protected by law but also constitutionally the Constitutional Court 35 gives respect, meaning that for social justice there is the right to control the state over objects of agrarian conflict. We ask that our brothers be released," said Ahmad Azhari, Saturday, June 25, 2022.
Regarding the conflict that afflicted the Dayak Marjun indigenous people, KASBI, KPA, Aman, Walhi, and IHCS who are in coalition with the KNPA demanded that the Prosecutor's Office, Polres and Berau Regency Government immediately release 6 residents who were criminalized and arrested by the police and also for legal proceedings against indigenous peoples. Dayak Marjun immediately stopped.
Then, the President immediately instructed the Ministries and related institutions to accelerate the resolution of the agrarian conflict in the Marjun customary area as part of the commitment to implementing agrarian reform and recognizing and restoring the rights of indigenous peoples.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jun 17, 2022
- Event Description
The Observatory has been informed about the conviction, sentencing, and ongoing arbitrary detention of Nguy Thi Khanh, a prominent environmental activist, winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018 and a symbol of the campaign against Vietnam’s reliance on coal power.
On June 17, 2022, Nguy Thi Khanh was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for tax evasion under the Article 200 of Vietnam’s 2015 Criminal Code, after being prosecuted and convicted for failing to pay a 10% tax on her Goldman Prize money, which is equivalent to an amount of VND 456 million (around 18,252 Euros).
Ms. Khanh was arrested on January 11, 2022 and detained for investigation at the Police Detention Centre No. 1 in Hanoi, where she remained detained pending trial. The acts of harassment against her began after she had repeatedly raised concerns on Vietnam’s heavy reliance on coal. In October 2021, Nguy Thi Khanh along with several NGOs alerted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the necessity to revise Vietnam’s Draft National Power Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period. In October 2019, she had joined 12 Vietnamese NGOs, including Oxfam - Vietnam, in signing the “Hanoi Statement” (Tuyến bố Hà nội), which called on the government to stop funding coal-fired power stations and to conduct a democratic consultation with the Vietnamese people.
At the time of publication of this urgent appeal, Nguy Thi Khanh remains in the Police Detention Center No 1.
Ms. Khanh is the fourth and most prominent environmental activist denouncing Vietnam’s continued heavy reliance on coal-fired power to be arrested this year on charges of tax evasion. On January 24, 2022, Dang Dinh Bach, director of the Law and Policy of Sustainability Development Research Center, was sentenced to five years in prison. On January 11, 2022, Mai Phan Loi, founder and leader of the Center for Media in Educating Community (MEC) and Bach Hùng Duong former director of the MEC were sentenced to our years and two years and six months respectively.
The three environmental rights defenders were accused of corporate tax evasion, although non-profit organizations are exempt from corporate tax in Vietnam. Tax laws regarding NGOs receiving funds from international donors are particularly vague and restrictive. The organisations of the three defenders, along with the VCHR, believed that their arrests were prompted by their work to promote civil society engagement in monitoring the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) which came into force in 2021.
The Observatory expresses its deepest concern about the Vietnamese authorities’ use of legal harassment, especially the use of tax-related charges against environmental activists, as a strategy to criminlise them.
The Observatory strongly condemns the judicial harassment and arbitrary detention of Nguy Thi Khanh, Dang Dinh Bach, Bach Hung Duong, and Mai Phan Loi, as it seems to be only aimed at punishing them for their legitimate environmental and human rights activities.
The Observatory urges the Vietnamese authorities to put an end to all acts of harassment against the above-mentioned human rights defenders and immediately and unconditionally release them.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Vietnam: award-winning environmental WHRD arrested
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 17, 2022
- Event Description
On June 21, Bulatlat obtained from a reliable source a copy of a government order for all internet service providers to block the website of Bulatlat and 26 others, including fellow alternative news outlet Pinoy Weekly and progressive organizations.
Bulatlat has condemned this move as prior restraint against protected speech, adding that this is based on hearsay of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
“We raise the alarm that such arbitrary action sets a dangerous precedent for independent journalism in the Philippines,” the country’s longest-running online news said in a statement.
This report revisits what the public needs to know about the DNS blocking and what it means for press freedom in the Philippines.
- How was DNS blocking on Bulatlat and 26 other websites discovered?
On June 17, 2022, Bulatlat received queries from its readers asking why its website was inaccessible. These were forwarded to its web host, Qurium Media Foundation, which confirmed that users of Smart Broadband as their internet service provider were faced with returning errors related to failing DNS resolution. In its initial investigation, Qurium found out that the last DNS request coming from Smart Broadband was recorded on the 16th June at 6:24 UTC. Simply put, the ISP deliberately blocked access to the website.
This prompted Bulatlat to write to PLDT/Smart, the National Telecommunications Commission, and the Department of Information and Communications over the apparent DNS blocking on June 20. A day after, on June 21, Bulatlat was able to get, through a reliable source, a copy of the NTC memorandum and the letter of National Security Adviser and retired general Hermogenes Esperon Jr. requesting the blocking of Bulatlat and 26 other websites of independent media and progressive organizations over allegations that they are “affiliated to and are supporting terrorists and terrorist organizations.”
- What is DNS blocking?
A DNS (domain name server) block is a mechanism to prevent users from accessing suspicious websites. In this case, however, DNS blocking is being used for internet censorship, similar to what is implemented in Vietnam and Myanmar.
- What did the NSC “request”?
In its letter, the National Security Council cited as basis for the DNS blocking three resolutions of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Council designating revolutionary organizations and alleged members of the Communist Party of the Philippines Central Committee as terrorists.
Esperon, in his capacity as National Security Adviser, “requested” for the blocking of the 27 websites (28 were listed because perhaps for emphasis, Bulatlat was listed twice), without laying the grounds nor presenting evidence.
- What did NTC order?
Responding to the so-called request, the National Telecommunications Commission issued a June 8, 2022 “for strict and immediate compliance” order directing the immediate blocking of the reported websites. The NTC gave internet service providers no later than five days upon receipt of the order to carry out the blocking.
Bulatlat and the groups in the NSC list were never informed of the said blocking “request.”
- Why is it questionable and unconstitutional?
There is no provision in the Anti-Terror Act nor in the Cybercrime Prevention Act which provides authority for the NTC to order the blocking of websites.
The NTC memo violates the right of Bulatlat and other groups to publish, and the people’s right to freedom of thought, free speech and free expression.
- What does it mean for the Philippine independent news?
In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has denounced the blocking, adding that while reporting may be critical of the government, “it is dangerous to equate this with affiliation or support that the government now claims.”
“Blocking access to these sites leave a gap in discourse and in flow of information and highlights and threats posed by the Anti-Terrorism Act on the freedom of expression and on freedom of the press,” the NUJP said.
- Impact of Event
- 27
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Philippines: alternative media outlets red-tagged
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jun 16, 2022
- Event Description
The activist group 24 June Democracy has demanded that the Ministry of Justice investigate a prison doctor’s alleged harassment of Nutthanit (last name withheld), or “Baipor,” a monarchy reform activist currently detained pending trial on a royal defamation charge, while the Department of Corrections claims no harassment took place.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said last week that Natthanit told her lawyer that she was threatened by a prison doctor named Chatri, who was performing a physical exam on her and Netiporn, another detained activist. She said that the doctor said to her “If I had a gun, I would…” and imitated a gun with his hand, pointing it at his chin while laughing, and that he told her that prison officials should separate her and Netiporn. She also said that Dr Chatri asked her about personal matters and criticized her on things unrelated to the physical exam he was performing.
On Wednesday (22 June), members of the 24 June Democracy group, led by activists Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, Jetsada Sripleng, and Shinawat Chankrajang, went to the Ministry of Justice to submit a petition calling for the Ministry to investigate Dr Chatri’s behaviour, to release the evidence related to the reported harassment, and for women doctors to be employed to treat inmates in the women’s prison.
The activists also demanded that legislation be amended to prevent judges from ordering the detention of defendants who should be considered innocent until the court has issued a verdict, and that the royal defamation law be amended as it is being used to restrict freedom of expression.
Their petition was received by Deputy Permanent Secretary Sahakarn Petchnarin, who said that the Ministry must make sure that prisons meet global standards, and that the Department of Corrections will not neglect inmates or allow them to die while in detention. He also met and spoke to representatives of the group about their demands.
Meanwhile, the Department of Corrections’ Public Relations Department issued a press release saying that Nutthanit went to see the prison doctor on 16 June for a physical exam and to receive medication for a stomach ache since she is on a hunger strike, and that the doctor on call at the time was Dr Chatri Chongsiriloet.
According to the press release, Dr Chatri spoke to Nutthanit and examine her symptoms, but Nutthanit told the doctor that she will not be receiving treatment and refused medication. The Department of Corrections also said that Dr Chatri claimed that he was testing Nutthanit’s intelligence and cognitive abilities and was asking her why she is on a hunger strike, and that he claimed he did not threaten or harass her. He also told the Department of Corrections that a nurse was present during the examination.
The Department also said that Dr Chatri has been working at the Women’s Central Correctional Institution for 15 years, during which there has never been a complaint against him.
Nutthanit and Netiporn are both monarchy reform activists from the activist group Thaluwang and have been held in pre-trial detention since 3 May when their bail was revoked by the South Bangkok Criminal Court, which claimed that they violated their bail conditions by causing public disorder by participating in another poll on land expropriation on 13 March 2022 at the Victory Monument, during which a small altercation took place between Thaluwang supporters and members of a royalist group gathering nearby.
Nutthanit and Netiporn have been charged with royal defamation, sedition, and refusing to comply with an officer’s order after they conducted a poll on royal motorcades at Siam Paragon shopping mall on 8 February 2022. They were arrested on 28 April 2022 along with activist Supitcha Chailom and charged with royal defamation for conducting a poll on whether people agree with the government allowing the King to use his powers as he pleases.
In addition to the above charges, Nutthanit was arrested on 22 April 2022 and charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for sharing a Facebook post about the monarchy budget.
To demand the right to bail for detained activists, Nutthanit and Netiporn have been on hunger strike for the past 22 days. TLHR reported on Wednesday (22 June) that Netiporn was taken to the prison infirmary on Tuesday night (21 June) after her conditions deteriorated. According to TLHR, Nutthanit told their lawyer during their Wednesday morning visit that Netiporn had a stomach ache, and that she was fainting and throwing up.
Nutthanit also told their lawyer that Netiporn has not eaten anything for over a week and has only been drinking water, and that she wanted Netiporn to be released to receive treatment since she has lost 11 – 12 kg in weight and her condition has deteriorated.
TLHR said lawyers requested bail for Nutthanit and Netiporn again today (23 June), but their request was denied. The South Bangkok Criminal Court said that there is still no reason to change existing court order and that, even though the two activists said they suffer from stomach ache and fatigue, the prison infirmary is capable of treating their symptoms. The order was signed by judge Netdao Manotamkij, Deputy Chief Justice of the South Bangkok Criminal Court.
TLHR notes that keeping Nutthanit in detention would affect her education. She is currently a student at Thammasat University’s Puey Ungphakorn School of Development Studies and has already missed her final examinations, but has filed a request with her department asking to take the exams at a later date after she has been released. Meanwhile, Netiporn was previously found to have a uterine cyst, and keeping her in detention would deny her medical treatment, possibly affecting her long-term health.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 15, 2022
- Event Description
The Supreme Court this morning upheld the conviction of land community representative Hoeun Sineath from Tbong Khmum province. Sineath was convicted by the Tbong Khmum Provincial Court in December 2020 of intentionally causing damage with aggravating circumstances of acting as a co-perpetrator under Articles 410 and 411(1) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to two years in prison, a decision upheld by the Tbong Khmum Appeal Court in August 2021 and the Supreme Court this morning.
Multiple communities in Dambe district, Tbong Khmum province have faced a decade-long dispute over community farmland with Harmony Win Investment Co. Ltd., a Chinese-owned rubber company. Sineath, along with eight other villagers who are not in detention, were convicted after they protested the company blocking access to and clearing their land. Sineath was the only one to appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court. He has spent more than 1 year and 10 months in Tbong Khmum prison since his arrest in August 2020.
Sineath was also convicted in a separate case following his arrest. In that case, he was convicted alongside 14 other people for obstructing public officials with aggravating circumstances under Articles 503 and 504 of the Criminal Code after they filmed authorities implementing a court order related to the disputed land. He was sentenced to spend one year in prison and fined 1 million riel (US$250). The other 14 people received fully suspended six-month sentences. Sineath has also appealed that case to the Supreme Court, with proceedings ongoing.
Around 30 members of Tbong Khmum’s Sre Prang community travelled to Phnom Penh and gathered outside the Supreme Court in support of Sineath during the trial hearing last Wednesday. Daun Penh security guards blocked them from gathering in front of the court and from walking to the National Assembly to follow up on a petition they had previously submitted.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jun 15, 2022
- Event Description
The community of Rejecting the Sangihe Mine was repressed by elements of the joint TNI and POLRI officers who were suspected of protecting PT TMS, which had unloaded heavy equipment to enter the mining location in Bowone Village, Kec. Tabukan South Central, Wednesday, June 15 2022, at approximately 15.00 WITA.
The action of the Community Rejecting the Sangihe Mine by closing the road access is a form of protest against the mining company PT. TMS which has been defeated based on the TUN court decision, to be able to respect the court's decision and the existing legal process, including the prohibition for companies to bring heavy equipment into the building. mine site. Heavy equipment belonging to the company, which was under the direct supervision of the TNI and POLRI, resulted in a conflict between the Sangihe Reject Mining Community and the TNI and POLRI which even led to repressive actions by the apparatus.
It is known that on Thursday, June 2, 2022, the Manado State Administrative Court has won the Sangihe Mining Community's lawsuit with case number 57/G/LH/2021/PTUN.Mdo, namely the Cancellation Decision and the Revocation Order. 503/DPMPTSPD/IL/IX/2020, concerning the Granting of Environmental Permits for PT. TMS Gold Mining Activities in Sangihe Regency, North Sulawesi Province.
That after the decision of the Manado Administrative Court, PT TMS should be able to show a law-abiding and respectful attitude to the court's decision and temporarily stop all forms of mining activities until a court decision has legal force, instead of ignoring and straddling the court's decision. The attitude and actions of PT. TMS are a form of disobedience to the law and harm to us as a state of law.
The protest form of the Community Rejecting the Sangihe Mining has given rise to threats from the Sangihe Police, as can be seen from the video spread on various social media with a duration of ± 58 seconds. The video shows how an individual from the Sangihe Resort Police gives an appeal by using several provisions of the Articles in the Criminal Code that must be obeyed by the community against mining.
In response to this, YLBHI-LBH Manado as the Institute for Human Rights Observer considers that the appeal from the police is a form of real and serious threat and has the potential for criminalization for the people who have consistently defended their living space. The criminal provisions conveyed by the police officers cannot be snared or imposed on the Sangihe community who refuse to mine, because the actions taken have been guaranteed and protected by law. So that the appeal is considered a form of partiality given to PT. TMS, and has tarnished the image of the police as protectors, protectors and law enforcers.
In a press release from YLBHI-LBH Manado received by CYBERSULUT, the treatment of the TNI and POLRI against the community rejecting the sangihe mine has straddled and violated various regulations that have guaranteed the rights of every citizen or community in defending their land rights and living space. Article 28A of the 1945 Constitution guarantees that "Everyone has the right to live and has the right to defend his life and life", Article 28D paragraph 1 "Rights to recognition, guarantees, protection and fair legal certainty and equal treatment before the law", Article 28J paragraph 1 "everyone is obliged to respect the human rights of others", and Article 66 of the PPLH Law explicitly states that "everyone who fights for the right to a good and healthy environment cannot be prosecuted criminally or be sued in a civil manner".
TNI and POLRI as law enforcement officers should be able to act professionally by enforcing the rule of law, in this case providing protection to people who are maintaining their living space as guaranteed and protected in laws and regulations, instead of threatening the community by using Articles of the Criminal Code which have the potential for criminalization. for the community to refuse mining and provide protection for PT. TMS to be able to return to mining activities.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 14, 2022
- Event Description
The Kampong Thom Provincial Court has put an indigenous Kuy community representative in pretrial detention for violence against a property owner following a complaint from a local company.
Heng Phen, second deputy of the local Kuy community in Sandan district, was arrested on Tuesday and charged under the Land Law with committing violence against a property owner for alleged illegal encroachment on the company’s land, said provincial court spokesman Say Veasna.
The community has long been in dispute with Sambath Platinum, which received nearly 2,500 hectares in 2011 for a rubber plantation in Boeng Per Wildlife Sanctuary.
Hean Hiek, first deputy of the Kbet Changho Khnar community, rejected the accusations against Phen.
“She has done nothing wrong. She did not do anything affecting the company’s benefit, and her arrest violated the rights of indigenous people because there was no clear reason,” Hiek said, adding that they had seen no arrest warrant.
Hiek said that the company had begun clearing the community’s farmland in 2011. In 2014, the provincial administration told the company to cut off 130 hectares of its concession for the community and stay 100 meters away from a canal they used. But, according to Hiek, the company had not complied. The community alleges the company has cleared about 700 of 1,000 hectares of the community’s land.
A letter issued by the Kampong Thom land management department in August last year ordered Sambath Platinum to stop planting boundary poles, clearing crops, and removing the community’s markers. It also ordered the company to compensate the community for crop damage.
Another community member, Um Bunthorn, alleged that on May 18, eight armed officers had used violence against residents and confiscated their tractors. Now, the company had unfairly filed a court complaint against them, he argued.
“Our indigenous people would like to appeal to the court and national authorities to intervene for the release of Heng Phen,” Bunthorn said.
Chheng Phann, a company representative and the case’s plaintiff, could not be reached on Thursday.
Ngoan commune chief Seth Phouy said the dispute was long-standing, but the matter was resolved.
“Previously, the people feared using land within the map of the company, forests that they had used for many years. [But] the company has never done anything to affect the people,” Phouy said.
Ngoan’s commune police chief, who only gave his name as Sopheak, said he had also not received a court order for the arrest, and instructions had come down from higher levels.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Agricultural business
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jun 14, 2022
- Event Description
Four protesters who took part in the commemoration of the death of Mako Tabuni which took place at Perumnas 3, Waena, Jayapura City, on Tuesday (14/6/2022) were injured when the police broke up their demonstration. The four people were injured by rubber bullets. The four protesters who were injured were Aris Nepsan and Jon Kadepa, Benedict Tebai and Natan Pigai. They were injured on the forehead, head, hands, and buttocks. The head of the Freedom of Association and Expression Team for the Legal Batuan Institute or LBH Papua, Aristoteles Howay said announcing the death of Mako Tabuni was dismissed by the police at around 13.00 WP. During the dispersal, the police released tear gas, and were expected to fire rubber bullets. “They were dispersed with tear gas and shot [rubber bullets]. There were four people hit by rubber bullets," Howay told Jubi on Tuesday. Howay said Tuesday's demonstration was a commemoration of the death of Deputy I of the Central West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Mako Tabuni. According to him, the police dispersed the flag after the protesters raised the KNPB. Howay said that at least six demonstrators were arrested by the police and taken to the Jayapura City Police Headquarters. "[Besides], four motorbikes and action attributes were also confiscated," he said. Howay said Tuesday afternoon they had not been able to meet the demonstrators until they were arrested by police. According to Howay, the disbandment of the demonstration violated the provisions of the Regulation of the Chief of the Indonesian National Police Number 16 of 2006 concerning Guidelines for Crowd Control. "Everyone has the right to express their opinion," he said. The Director of LBH Papua, Emanuel Gobay asked the Papuan Regional Police Chief in charge of the Profession and Security Sector to arrest the police who used rubber bullets to disperse the demonstration commemorating the death of Mako Tabuni. He assessed that the Jayapura City Police (Polresta) officers tended to carry out repression during demonstrations. Police institutions regulate the implementation of human rights standards in police duties,” said Gobay.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jun 13, 2022
- Event Description
The military has intensified efforts to locate and capture participants in anti-junta flash demonstrations in Yangon, arresting more than 30 young adults on Monday and Tuesday alone, according to a source close to the city’s student activists.
Leo, the on-ground officer for the General Strike Committee, told Myanmar Now that the youth were detained from townships including Kyimindaing, Sanchaung, Tamwe and Yankin.
“Over 30—almost 40—youth were captured. They forced people who had connections with the victims to guide them to the victims at gunpoint,” he said.
A member of the Yangon Revolution Force (YRF) said that two of the people arrested had hung banners on Strand Rd in Kyimindaing on Monday morning condemning the military-led education system and encouraging people to commit to the anti-dictatorship movement.
“One of them was captured first and the military found out about the other one’s whereabouts from the first one,” the YRF member said. “Although we knew that the first one had been taken, the second one couldn’t get away as it was already 1am when he was captured.”
A member of a youth strike committee from Kyimindaing who had gone into hiding at the time of reporting confirmed that several youth from the township were arrested on Monday.
Soldiers and police officers were searching apartments and blocking roads in order to search vehicles and increasing their patrol in an effort to apprehend protesters, according to a recent statement by the online community the Yangon scout group, which warns members of the public of junta surveillance.
A protest leader and student union member told Myanmar Now that junta troops had been checking household registration lists at night for unregistered guests, as part of a push to identify and arrest youth who had participated in recent demonstrations.
“We get really scared at night as we are all at risk of getting arrested. I can’t afford to pay rent alone, so I’m sharing a room with a colleague from the strike committee,” he explained.
Soldiers reportedly beat and arrested two men in Tamwe and three in Sanchaung in addition to the several people apprehended in Kyimindaing, among whom were four protest leaders, another activist said.
“A boy and a girl were taken in Alatt Chaung ward in Kyimyindaing last night and they’re forcing them to guide them to their team members” he added, noting that some 35 junta personnel were present.
Acknowledging the risk of punishment by the military council, Leo, from the General Strike Committee, called on area residents to help shelter protesters in hiding in order to show support for the anti-dictatorship movement.
“We request that, when it is necessary, the public protect the youth who are fleeing,” he said.
- Impact of Event
- 30
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jun 12, 2022
- Event Description
Myanmar law students are reporting for JURIST on challenges to the rule of law in their country under the military junta that deposed the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Here, one of our correspondents reports the suicide of a young Myanmar pro-democracy lawyer whose brother and sisters were taken hostage after junta agents came looking for her. The text has only been lightly edited to respect the author’s voice.
Myanmar lawyer Daw Phyu Phyu Khaing (age-29) took her own life Sunday after military junta troops arbitrarily abducted her family members and held them as hostages.
According to a neighbour, a group of junta armed forces raided her home in Ohn Chaw Village, Patheingyi Township, at 1 pm on 8th June. The military initially intended to arbitrarily arrest her based on reports from their on-ground informants who said that she was actively involved in protest groups in which lawyers protest against the military junta and that she financially supported People’s Defence Force (PDF) members. However, when they found out she had already fled away, the junta severely tortured her family members who remained at home. Junta agents subsequently abducted a total of three of her family members – her brother and her two sisters – to hold them hostage instead of her. According to informants, her siblings were sent to the interrogation centre inside the Mandalay Royal Palace compound where the junta military has a base.
Even after four days of their detention [yesterday, 12th June], there was no further news about her family members. On that day, Phyu Phyu Khaing tried to take her own life by taking pesticides. A neighbour saw the scene and tried to save her, but due to lack of adequate medical support in the area where she was, she passed away, according to the Mandalay Free Press (MFP).
Can you imagine what a 29 year old lawyer could have done to support the rule of law and social justice for her country?
Before doing all those great things, here in Myanmar, lawyer Phyu Phyu Khaing succeeded in taking her own life before Myanmar people succeed in getting Democracy. At least she was able to end her suffering now while we all continue. And maybe she did that in the hope of having her family released.
Once again, the Myanmar juntas have successfully proven their excellence in being the cruelest TERRORISTS.
Even though this news is not published on local or international media, there are many Myanmar lawyers who have been arbitrarily arrested for many absurd accusations. The reason why these stories are not more broadly publicized is a fear, uncontradicted by the junta, that media attention will makes the life of hostages worse. But we desperately need media attention to shine light upon this continuous torture while we risk everything just to tell the world about this.
This is not the first time a lawyer has been chased like prey. This is not the first time that the family members of someone on the junta’s “wanted list” have been held as hostages. I hope no one ever forgets how last year a 20 year old third year Myanmar law student, her mother and her 5 year old younger sister were held as hostages.
And Myanmar is not the only place where we are continuously failing to bring peace and justice. Myanmar’s trouble should be considered the world’s trouble because the Myanmar junta is committing crimes against humanity. It’s going on two years since the coup, but where is our democracy, and how many innocent people are going to get murdered before we get it back? All of us do not have a tomorrow. I wonder what the point of having a tomorrow is when every tomorrow comes with misery.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping, Death, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Lawyer, Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 11, 2022
- Event Description
Progressives denounced the arrest of 68-year old environmental defender Daisy Macapanpan who was arrested on June 11, Sunday.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, called for the immediate release of Macapanpan who, she said, is “a victim of warrantless arrest and unjust detention based on false charges, which are seen as reprisals on her advocacy work for the environment and her community.”
Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment described Macapanpan’s arrest as overkill.
Macapanpan was arrested in her home in Pakil, Laguna reportedly by 24 policemen.
In an online press conference on June 12, Macapanpan’s relative, Ryan, Macapanpan just came from a meeting in a church in their town in Pakil when the police came to their residence.
According to Kalikasan, Macapanpan has been leading the opposition against the construction of Ahunan Pumped-Storage Hydropower Project on top of the mountain in Pakil, Laguna.
Leon Dulce, national coordinator of Kalikasan, said that there is nothing wrong with airing disapproval and explaining opinions on why the Ahunan Hydropower Project should be shelved.
“The purpose of such discussions that locals have is to raise awareness and discourse over the matter at hand. Is there something that the proponents are trying to hide that Daisy has probably discovered,” Dulce said.
The said project, according to Dulce, will be constructed in Mt. Inumpong of the Sierra Madre mountain range along Pakil, Laguna. He said that the biodiverse area also has water resources flowing from the Dakil river ecosystems, including the Sirena Falls.
He said that the Ahunan Power Inc., a joint venture of tycoon Enrique Razon’s Prime Metro Power Holdings Corp. and JBD Water Power Inc., is one of the proponents of the hydropower project that will affect 300 hectares of land.
The project will result in more flooding brought about by larger typhoons in floodplains along the shores of Laguna de Bay. The location of the said project is also prone to landslide, said Dulce.
Agham (Advocates of Scientist and Technology for the People) said the proposed project is envisioned to produce 1,400-MW electricity. The group said that the water from the Laguna Lake will be pumped into a reservoir on top of the Sierra Madre in Pakil which will be dropped thereafter to produce hydroelectric power.
They said that the residents fear that the hydropower dam will affect their source of drinking water as well as religious practices in the natural pools in Pakil.
“The construction of the Ahunan hydropower dam will also involve the destruction of trees in Sierra Madre, which will also affect wildlife. The destruction of forests will also increase the likelihood of landslides and heavy flooding,” the group said in a statement.
The group recognizes that the Ahunan hydropower dam is seen as a renewable energy source that could become an alternative to coal-fired power plants. “However, the development of such renewable energy sources should not be at the expense of the environment and people. Additionally, such renewable energy would still be under the control of a private corporation, thus cheap electricity prices are still not guaranteed,” the group added.
More arrests foreseen
Ryan denounced the ill-treatment of her aunt by the arresting officers.
“Some of the policemen who did not have name patches and were carrying firearms, forcibly entered the house of my aunt Daisy. She was alone then. I tried to run to her because I was afraid they might kill her and say that she fought back. The police won’t let me. They were able to get my aunt. Male police officers carried her through her arms and feet and forcibly took her to their mobile,” Ryan said.
He added that the police did not wear body cameras and did not present any warrant of arrest.
Karapatan said it was only when Macapanpan was at the Quezon Provincial Police Office in Camp General Nakar, Lucena City when she learned that she was charged with rebellion for an incident in Infanta, Quezon.
Karapatan added that the charges against Macapanpan and other activists in Southern Tagalog were filed in 2008.
“The rebellion case filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 65 in Infanta, Quezon was the same case levelled against peasant organizer Dana Marcellana, daughter of peasant leader Orly Marcellana and slain human rights worker Eden Marcellana, who was arrested last year,” Palabay said in a statement.
“At this rate, this rebellion charge may be used repeatedly against activists in Southern Tagalog as the government continues its harassment against activists and government critics,” Palabay added.
Agham meanwhile expressed their alarm over the increasing number of rights violations against environmental and land rights defenders as the President Duterte’s term is about to end.
“Prior to Daisy’s arrest, at least 90 agrarian reform beneficiaries and peasant advocates were illegally arrested in Tarlac. With the worsening global climate crisis, it is imperative that the government afford protection on environmental defenders who serve as frontliners in protecting and conserving the environment,” the group said.
Palabay meanwhile said that they believe that the policy of repression and terror will continue under the new government following the mass arrests of farmers and supporters in Tarlac as well as the preparations for president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s inauguration including restrictions on rallies and mass actions.
“Nevertheless, we will continue to call and work for Macapanpan’s release and that of all political prisoners who face trumped up charges and other forms of attacks,” Palabay said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jun 11, 2022
- Event Description
The commander of the Bangkok police force on Wednesday rejected allegations that its officers endangered anti-government demonstrators by aiming baton rounds at their upper bodies during a recent confrontation.
Metropolitan Police Bureau commander Pol Lt Gen Samran Nualma said in a statement that the use of rubber-tipped bullets complied with all appropriate safety guidelines, a day after he told a group of media representatives that citizen journalists and independent media are free to operate from protest sites, provided they do not encourage violence or break the laws.
“The shoulder firing position is a basic pose and complies with standards in using firearms, because it allows the officers to take [accurate] aims at the targets, and it is less dangerous than firing without aiming at all,” the statement quoted Police Lt. Gen. Samran as saying. “Firing the weapon from other positions, without aiming, may cause injuries to vital organs.”
Samran was responding to images and videos that appear to show riot police aiming their rifles directly at protesters near Din Daeng Intersection on the night of 11 June.
Police critics say such action may cause serious injuries to those struck by the projectiles. They also point to police guidelines on the use of non-lethal weapons, which state that the rubber bullets should only be aimed at non-vital organs and lower parts of the bodies.
Samran said the images don’t tell the whole story since an elevated firing position alone does not indicate where an officer is aiming.
“Furthermore, the environment is also important. Were the demonstrators above or below where the officers were standing?” Samran said in the statement. “Focusing on the firing position and assuming that the officers were aiming high simply lacks sufficient evidence for a conclusion.”
Police were seen firing multiple rounds of tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters on 11 June after they tried to march from Victory Monument to PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s official residence on Vibhavadi Road, sparking the first violent confrontation between police and anti-government demonstrators in months.
The organisers said they were marching to demand the ousting of PM Prayut, who has been in power since the 2014 coup.
Some of the demonstrators responded by throwing fireworks at the officers. Two government vehicles were also torched. There were no official figures on injuries.
Videos taken by bystanders that night also show a group of plainclothes police detaining a citizen journalist who was reportedly filming the protest on Facebook Live.
Comments on social media identify the person as a staff member of a popular Facebook page called “Katoey Mae Look Orn,” which routinely broadcasts live commentary from protest areas. It is unclear why the person was detained and whether he was charged with any offence.
Attempts to reach “Katoey Mae Look Orn” were unsuccessful on Wednesday, but a person familiar with the group said the citizen journalist was released without charges after being searched by plainclothes police officers .
The incident sparked concerns that citizen journalists who report on social media would face further repercussions or arrests from police at protest sites. Police officials have in the past attempted to paint citizen journalists and independent reporters as “unsanctioned media” that need to be controlled or regulated.
In a Monday meeting with the representatives of six media associations, Samran stated that he respected the rights of professional and citizen journalists to report or broadcast news of political demonstrations, provided they obey the law.
A summary of the meeting published by the Thai Journalists Association, one of the organisations present at the discussion, quoted Samran as saying that he “maintained that citizen journalists and members of the public can definitely publish or broadcast the news and images from the protests.”
“But at the same time,” Samran was quoted as saying. “I’d like to ask for cooperation from the citizen journalists and members of the public to refrain from using words that lead to sedition or incitement of violence, or engaging in any unlawful acts.”
A police summary of the meeting did not include Samran’s remarks, noting instead that both parties discussed ways to ensure that the police will not “obstruct or harass the operations of the media other than in instances when a reporter is encouraging or participating in the protest, or in cases where it is necessary for police officers to defend themselves.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jun 10, 2022
- Event Description
The charred bodies of five members of the anti-coup movement were found by members of a local resistance force amid military raids on villages in northern Yesagyo Township in Magway Region on Tuesday evening.
The township’s People’s Defence Force (PDF) chapter announced that two local guerrilla fighters, as well as three people who had been participating in the general strike associated with the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), were discovered slain near Peik Thin Kat village.
They were burned beyond recognition and buried in a shallow grave, the PDF statement said.
U Naing, a leader of another guerrilla force active in northern Yesagyo described the individuals to Myanmar Now as having been “murdered in a cruel manner.”
“All five bodies were found and accounted for. They killed them, burned the bodies and buried the remains,” he said, noting that the victims were found after the handcuffed hands of one of the bodies was left uncovered by soil.
Among those killed was 54-year-old headmaster Win Kyaw, 27-year-old nurse Zarli Naing, and Khin Hnin Wai, 28, a teacher who was five months pregnant at the time of her murder. Also murdered with them were two armed resistance force members in their 20s: Htay Min Oo and Thae Ei Ei Win.
All five victims were in Myaing Township’s Dan Pin Kan village, located next to Peik Thin Kat, and captured on the evening of June 10, according to U Naing. He added that a bullet was found amongst the bodies, and that the abdomen of Win Kyaw appeared to have been perforated by a sharp object.
Both Khin Hnin Wai and Win Kyaw had been participating in the education program launched by the civilian National Unity Government after refusing to return to work in the junta-controlled school system.
The site where they were killed is located two miles west of the Sin Phyu Shin bridge, where PDFs from Yesagyo, Myaing and Salingyi townships ambushed a junta checkpoint on June 9, killing three military personnel, taking one soldier prisoner, and seizing multiple weapons.
In the days that followed the attack, hundreds of Myanmar army soldiers began raiding the surrounding villages in northern Yesagyo Township, torching homes and abducting civilians.
On June 10, hundreds of villagers were forced to flee into the area’s western forests when junta troops fired indiscriminately towards Dan Pin Kan after encountering explosives planted by the northern Yesagyo guerrilla group in an attempt to stop their advance.
Zarli Naing, the nurse who had been supporting the resistance movement, was working between Yesagyo and Myaing townships after fleeing her home in Pakokku, 30 miles to the south. She was among the fleeing Dan Pin Kan locals at the time she was captured.
“One of our members who attacked the military with explosives got injured after falling down a cliff, so we sent him to the CDM nurse to get his injuries treated,” guerrilla leader U Naing explained. “Another member of our group accompanied him and all five of them were arrested together by the military.”
He told Myanmar Now that Zarli Naing and Win Kyaw had been located in the area by a junta informant, who then guided the troops to the place where she was providing first aid to the injured resistance fighter, at a distance from the other displaced civilians.
“The victims might have thought the junta soldiers were PDF members because they were wearing shorts just like PDF members do,” he said.
Instead, they are believed to have been killed by their captors later that day.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jun 9, 2022
- Event Description
A Vietnamese court on Thursday sentenced a Facebook user to five years in prison for posting stories criticizing government authorities, with an additional five years of probation to be served following his release, state media and other sources said.
Nguyen Duy Linh, a resident of the Chau Thanh district of southern Vietnam’s Ben Tre province, was jailed following a 3-hour trial in the Ben Tre People’s Court. He had been charged with “creating, storing, disseminating information, materials, publications and items against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” under Article 117 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.
Linh’s wife Nguyen Ngoc Tuyet was present at his trial as a witness, but friends and other political dissidents were barred by authorities from attending and Linh had waived his right to a defense by lawyers in the case, sources said.
Commenting on the outcome of the case, Phil Robertson — deputy director for Asia for the rights group Human Rights Watch — told RFA by email that posting criticisms of government policies and authorities online should not considered a crime.
“All that Nguyen Duy Linh did was exercise his right to freedom of expression, which is a core human right that is explicitly protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that Vietnam ratified,” Robertson said.
Vietnam’s one-party communist government “seems intent on proving that it is one of the most rights-repressing governments in the Asian region,” Robertson added. “The authorities in Hanoi have completely lost any idea of how to rule a modernizing, 21st century country with intelligence and respect for the people.”
State media reporting on the case said that Linh from March 2020 to September 2021 had posted on his Facebook page 193 stories with content “offensive to the Party and State’s leaders or against the government.” Linh had also posted what state sources called false stories about socio-economic issues and the spread of COVID-19 in Vietnam, according to media reports.
Linh is the fifth person accused in Vietnam since the beginning of this year of “spreading anti-State materials” under Article 117 of the 2015 Penal Code or “propagandizing against the State” under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code. Both laws have been criticized by activists and rights groups as measures used to stifle voices of dissent in Vietnam.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jun 9, 2022
- Event Description
Four people were hurt in clashes with police as hundreds of mostly female protesters wrapped themselves in Vietnamese flags to rally against a cemetery and crematorium project in central Vietnam, villagers said Friday.
The protest on Thursday targeted Vinh Hang Eco-park and Cemetery, an 80-ha, 500 billion dong ($21.8 million) project in the Hung Nguyen district of central Nghe An province.
Approved by local authorities in 2017, the cemetery has encountered strong objection by local residents due to environmental and water resource concerns.
“There was a clash among the police and local residents. One woman was seriously injured and was sent to Nghe An provincial hospital for emergency care. Two others were sent to a district hospital with less serious injuries,” local resident Phan Van Khuong told RFA Vietnamese.
“They arrested three or four people but released them on the same day,” he added.
A Facebook page titled “Hạt lúa Kẻ Gai” showed dozens of police officers in uniform knocking down protesters’ tents.
“The Commune People’s Committee sent some people to plant markers on a road where local residents put up tents [to block the project] and we all rushed up there to stop them,” Nguyen Van Ky, a resident from Phuc Dien village, told RFA.
“In response, district and commune police officers were deployed and they removed the tents and shoved us down, injuring four people,” said Ky.
The injuries were caused when police officers kicked and stomped on protesters. A fourth protester had a leg injury that did not require hospital treatment.
RFA called authorities from Nghe An province and Hung Tay commune to seek comments but no one answered the phone.
While all land in Communist-run Vietnam is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint as residents accuse the government of pushing small landholders aside in favor of lucrative real estate projects, and of paying too little in compensation.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 9, 2022
- Event Description
Groups condemned the violent arrest of 93 individuals, including agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), in Hacienda Tinang, Concepcion, Tarlac on Thursday, June 9.
According to the report of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), the ARBs together with peasant advocates were peacefully holding a bungkalan or collective farming when members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and regional mobile group patrol came to the area, some bearing long firearms.
Authorities forcibly took peasant leaders of agrarian reform beneficiaries group, Malayang Kilusang Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Tinang (Makisama-Tinang) namely Ophelia Cunanan, Alvin Dimarucot and three others members along with volunteers, supporters, peasant advocates who were members of Sama-Samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA, Artists’ Alliance for Genuine Agrarian Reform).
UMA said that those arrested are in police custody and reportedly charged with malicious mischief and obstruction of justice.
Cathy Estavillo, secretary-general of women peasant group Amihan said that the mass arrest and harassment faced by farmers and advocates at Hacienda Tinang showed “the uselessness of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).”
“Deprived farmers are faced with violent reprisal when they assert their rightful claim to land. This exposes CARP as instrumental to landlords while the majority of our farmers remain landless, poor, and hungry,” Estavillo said, adding their call for the immediate release of the farmers and their supporters and holding the police accountable.
Non-installation of agrarian reform beneficiaries
Farmers who are beneficiaries of agrarian reform have made their calls clear when they trooped to the Department of Agrarian Reform office in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 7, demanding the installation of some 236 legitimate ARBs who are all holders of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs).
They also submitted a manifestation opposing the DAR’s proposal for what they described as a tedious revalidation process, which they said will only favor the family of Tarlac Rep. Noel Villanueva.
The group said Villanueva is claiming ownership of the disputed land.
They added that Villanueva is reportedly attempting to install some 468 members of a local farmers cooperative, half of which already sold their rights to the family of the Tarlac solon.
UMA said that the disputed land is a 200-hectare sugarcane landholding which is part of the more than 1,200-hectares of land formerly owned by Benigno Aquino Sr. and inherited by the Aquino siblings including Antonio Urquico Aquino who later sold the land to Dominican priests.
“In 1988, the said landholding was placed under voluntary land transfer (VLT) by the Dominican Priests of the Phils. Inc. under Cory Aquino’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL). The farmer-tenants then applied to become beneficiaries. They were awarded their CLOAS in 1998,” the group
In an earlier statement, Abby Bucad of Makisama-Tinang said the farmers decided to collectively cultivate the land in 2016 due to decades of non-installation (of land reform beneficiaries).
The following year, they filed a petition for installation and in 2018 and 2019, DAR issued a writ of execution and ordered with finality the distribution and installation of the ARBs. However, Bucad said that the order did not take effect.
“President Duterte’s term and that of DAR Secretary Bernie Cruz are ending but the farmers still do not have their land. DAR and Sec. Cruz only have less than a month to proceed with the installation of farmers in their land, Bucad said in Filipino.
“DAR has been remiss of its duty and obligation to implement a comprehensive and genuine agrarian reform. More than three decades after CARP was enacted, nine out of ten farmers remain landless. ARBs on the other hand, still cannot pay the land amortization under CARP,” UMA said.
Members of the NPA?
Supporters were also accused of being members of the New People’s Army, said SAKA in a statement.
When they asked for the basis of their arrest, one police officer replied: “NPA kayo.”
SAKA is a peasant advocate group whose members are artists.
The group said that “the police cornered them in a hut, dismantled its doors, then forced themselves into it to drive the others out. It was the local police chief, at the time wearing civilian clothes, who ordered that everyone be rounded up and brought to the Concepcion police station.”
“Such land cultivation, called ‘bungkalan,’ is a form of protest in which peasants—usually ARBs—assert ownership of land by planting agricultural products that primarily address their immediate need for food. It is a method of guaranteeing a peasant community’s own food security,” the group said in a statement.
“In the case of MAKISAMA, they aimed to grow rice and vegetables on land granted to them by DAR as early as 1998, but whose collective CLOA was seized by a cooperative run by a local family of bureaucrats, including the incoming Mayor,” they added.
Meanwhile, Agham Advocates of Science and Technology for the People called for the immediate release and dropping of all charges against the 87 persons arrested by the police. They also called on DAR and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to conduct an immediate and impartial investigation on such human rights violations against the ARBs and peasant advocates.
“We also challenge DAR to immediately resolve the chronic problem of landlessness among peasants in the country by fast-tracking the granting of lands. As we face another economic crisis brought by increasing fuel and food insecurity, we demand the government to provide more support to our farmers who provide food to our tables,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 9, 2022
- Event Description
Filipino environmentalist groups have assailed the new wave of surveillance, harassment, and red-tagging of their members in the past five days..
The Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC) and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) said men believed to be police officers in plainclothes knocked on their office on Thursday, June 9, and took photos of their staff.
The groups said their staff did not consent to being photographed and that no search warrant was also presented.
Earlier today, men believed to be police officers were once again seen taking photos of their office, the green groups added in their joint statement.
The wave of harassment and red-tagging happened following the mass arrests of 93 farmers and land reform advocates in Hacienda Tinang in Concepcion, Tarlac, and the recent arrest of an anti-dam activist in Pakil, Laguna.
Apart from the two environmentalist groups, they also noted the spate in red-tagging incidents on progressive partylists.
“We fear that this is the beginning of a crackdown against land and environmental defenders under the incoming authoritarian Marcos-Duterte regime,” the group said.
This is not the first time that Kalikasan and CEC were subjected to red-tagging. In 2018, there was an attempt to raid their office, they said, citing their then collaborations with the Commission on Human Rights and international groups such as the United Nations Human Rights System, Global Witness and the International Union for Conservation of Nature for their work on the issues and challenges being faced by environmental defenders.
They said, “We call on the CHR and the various UN human rights and environmental offices we have worked with in the past years to undertake preventive interventions against these human rights abuses and threats.”
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jun 8, 2022
- Event Description
A former journalist from Mandalay who was arrested nearly two months ago has been charged with incitement for a Facebook post, according to lawyers familiar with his case.
Zaw Zaw, a photojournalist who quit his job with news outlet The Irrawaddy after last year’s coup, disappeared after he was taken into custody on April 9.
Last month, it was learned that he had been transferred to Mandalay’s Obo Prison after being held at the notorious Mandalay Palace interrogation centre for more than a month.
He was formally charged with incitement under Section 505a of the Penal Code during a court appearance inside the prison on Wednesday, a lawyer told Myanmar Now.
“They couldn’t find any dirt on him even after interrogating him, so they just found one Facebook post and laid the charge against him based on that,” said the lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The content of the post had not been disclosed at the time of reporting.
Zaw Zaw attended his first court hearing through an online conferencing system on Monday, and the charge was filed at the prison court with him present two days later, according to lawyers.
His former employer, The Irrawaddy, has also been charged with incitement for its post-coup news coverage. Zaw Zaw resigned from his job shortly after the regime forced the outlet to close.
A number of journalists have been convicted on incitement charges. In January, a court in Sagaing Region handed two-year prison sentences to an editor and a reporter from the now defunct Zayar Times.
According to figures compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, there are a total of 10,962 political prisoners currently being held in regime custody, including at least 50 journalists.
Myanmar’s junta charged The Irrawaddy’s former photojournalist Zaw Zaw with incitement on Monday, according to his lawyer.
Zaw Zaw was detained in Mandalay in April and later sent to the city’s Obo Prison. He stopped working for The Irrawaddy last year.
His lawyer U Myo Min Zaw said that the police submitted the case to the court on Monday, charging Zaw Zaw with incitement under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code.
Zaw Zaw appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday.
“He looks fine and in good health,” said his lawyer.
He added that his client thought that he had been charged for a Facebook post in which he denounced the junta.
But U Myo Min Zaw declined to confirm the exact reason for the charge as he was still waiting for access to the police file submitted to the court.
Another court hearing for Zaw Zaw is set for next Wednesday.
Since last year’s coup, the military regime has arrested over 140 media workers, of whom around 60 remain behind bars.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 7, 2022
- Event Description
The Mondulkiri Provincial Court questioned four Bunong environmentalists for several hours on Tuesday over alleged defamation and incitement based on a developer’s complaint.
Kroeung Tola, Ploek Phyrom, Ploek Nary and Kloeung Tum were summoned to appear on allegations leveled by Kak Ratana, director of Villa Development, according to one of the accused.
Phyrom said the case was a result of the foursome earlier filing a complaint against the company for deforestation, clearing state land and destroying resin trees in the Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary. The area of forest in question, in Sen Monorom’s Sokdum commune, had been used by the local indigenous community for a long time before the company brought in heavy machinery to clear it, she said.
On Tuesday, court officials questioned them for several hours but they made no immediate decision on the case and let them go home, Phyrom said. The accused requested that the case be dropped, she added.
The company director, Ratana, could not be reached on Tuesday.
“We are protecting our land. They are planning to clear 100 hectares,” Phyrom previously said after receiving the court summons. “We make a living on that land.”
The community had already lost around 1,000 resin trees in the area, she said. “If we lose all of them, what can we do?”
Tola, another of the accused, is a prominent activist and coordinator for the Mondulkiri Indigenous People Network. He has faced previous legal actions against him, including fines for defamation.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Corporation (others)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 6, 2022
- Event Description
The residence of a monk living in a Kampong Speu has been burned down amid a land dispute with soldiers.
Prom Thomacheat, living in Oral district’s Metta forest, said the small hut where he had slept was burned to the ground on Monday. It followed a pattern of violence from soldiers laying claim to the land, he said.
“They’ve fired shots over my head” in the past, he said. “If I die, I die. What can I do in this situation? … People ask me to leave and no one would hurt me. But I won’t go.”
Community members say they were protecting Metta forest for years before the state handed the land to soldiers in August last year. The transfer sparked protests of hundreds and locals camping out in the forest to protect the woods, which is part of the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary.
But satellite imagery shows land clearing ramping up in the past two months, leaving broad scars through the forest. Residents have said they can no longer approach the clearings due to incidences of violence.
A community member, Khorn Khern, said she believed it was soldiers who had burned the monk’s hut, though she provided no evidence.
“Soldiers are now clearing and cutting the forest of the monk,” Khon said. “This is not right. This forest is a place that people and monks have been protecting for a long time. Now the sound of machines cutting down trees is close to the big pagoda.”
Trapeang Chhour commune chief Tep Nem said he had not received any report or information about the burning of the monk’s hut.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Cambodia: land rights activists threatened with bullets
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jun 6, 2022
- Event Description
Bulatlat condemned the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) latest memorandum targeting alternative media sites and organizations, calling it a “dangerous precedent for independent journalism in the Philippines.”
In a statement released Wednesday, June 22, Bulatlat expressed its shock and rage against the NTC’s memorandum instructing all internet service providers to immediately block access to 28 websites, including Bulatlat.
“Bulatlat […] condemns this brazen violation of our right to publish, and of the public’s right to free press and free expression,” the media outfit said in its statement.
The NTC cites in its memorandum a June 6, 2022 letter from the National Security Council (NSC) listing down over two dozen websites “found to be affiliated to and are supporting terrorists and terrorist organizations.” However, the NSC failed to provide basis for the inclusion of several independent and alternative media outlets in their list.
The letter was written and signed by National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who is also the Anti-Terrorism Council Vice Chairperson.
Following reports that Bulatlat could not be accessed by readers since June 17, 2022, the news site also wrote a letter on June 20, 2022 addressed to the NTC and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) urging them to investigate Esperon’s claims. Bulatlat has not yet received any reply as of writing.
Bulatlat deplored this most recent state-sponsored cyber attack in its statement and called it “prior restraint against protected speech.”
“It is downright unacceptable as it is based on Esperon’s mere hearsay,” Bulatlat said.
The alternative media organization is no stranger to red-tagging and cyber attacks. Exactly one year ago, June 22, 2021, Qurium released a forensic report linking a 2021 cyber attack on Bulatlat to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine military.
Bulatlat called on the public to “stand against attempts to muzzle legitimate sources of information” as it continues its coverage.
“No matter who is in power, we have remained fearless in our truth-telling. We will continue our work while we also consider all legal remedies available to question, and stop yet another state-sponsored repression,” it said in its statement.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines denounced what they call as arbitrary inclusion of Bulatlat, Pinoy Weekly and other news websites in the said list.
In a statement, the group said Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly have existed for years and have built a track record of reporting on people’s issues.
“Sometimes, that reporting has been critical of the government and its policies, but it is dangerous to equate this with affiliation or support that the government now claims,” the group said.
“Blocking access to these sites leave a gap in discourse and in the flow of information and highlights the threats posed by the Anti-Terrorism Law on the freedom of expression and on freedom of the press,” the group said adding that what’s even more concerning is the danger that labeling puts the staff and correspondents of the listed websites in.
“We have repeatedly warned against the dangers of red-tagging and how the practice paints groups and people as legitimate targets for threats, harassment and physical attacks. This labeling, in the form of an official government document, magnifies that danger even more,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 26
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jun 4, 2022
- Event Description
Papua Police Chief Inspector General Mathius D Fakhiri admitted that 17 people were arrested in connection with demonstrations against the establishment of new autonomous regions (DOB) in Jayapura and Merauke regencies. In Jayapura Regency, two people were arrested on Friday (3/6/2022). Meanwhile in Merauke, 15 people were arrested on Saturday (4/6/2022). "When we forced ourselves to hold a demonstration, we arrested several people, after we asked for their information, we sent them home," said Fakhiri in Jayapura, Sunday (5/6/2022) night. Fakhiri explained that the reason the security forces detained the 17 people was because their actions did not have a permit. The police's offer to facilitate vehicles for the demonstrators to their respective DPRD offices was rejected by the masses. "They wanted to hold a demonstration (but) we didn't give them permission because they couldn't fulfill the licensing procedures regulated by law in this country," said Fakhiri. According to Fakhiri, the masses on behalf of the Papuan People's Petition (PRP) have repeatedly held the same demonstrations and have always insisted on a long march to the Papuan DPR office. This wish cannot be granted because it will interfere with the activities of other communities. "Please also respect the interests of other people who want to be active. The police do not hinder the right to express their aspirations, but it must be done according to the applicable rules," said Fakhiri. Demonstrations against the plan to form new autonomous regions have been held four times in a number of regencies/cities in Papua. The last action was carried out in Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency, Mimika, Jayawijaya and Merauke, on Friday and Saturday.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jun 3, 2022
- Event Description
As a result of the arrests, the simultaneous demonstration of the Papuan people against the division, revoking of Otsus volume II and holding a referendum by all Papuan people in Papua and Indonesia who are members of the Papuan People's Petition (PRP) on Friday (3/5/2022), in Nabire district, Papua cancel done. The action will be carried out by holding a free pulpit. It was reported that the action was canceled due to the arbitrary arrests of the joint TNI-Polri apparatus against the mass of action before the action took place at the Gizi park, Oyehe, Nabire. A total of 23 people were forcibly arrested. 22 people were arrested first and one from behind. The 22 people who were arrested were transported by police trucks and taken to the Nabire Police Headquarters for interrogation. Over 10 hours they were interrogated and released. “Initially, 11 of us came to the Gizi park to do a free pulpit action. We brought some pamphlets and a megaphone. At that time there was no security apparatus. But there are already two billboards that say thank you for DOB. One of them is from the Key harmony in Nabire," said a protester who was arrested to Suarapapua.com from Nabire, Saturday (4/6/2022), who declined to give his name. He said starting at 06.00, continued at 06:37. The police with full weapons along with about tens of intel arrived and went straight to them asking to disperse with the excuse that at the nutrition park there would be a joint rally in the morning. “We were lazy to know and stayed. At 06:40, another crowd was arriving. The police chief also arrived with some of his men, then again forced us to disperse with shouts and threatening words, while ordering his men within 10 minutes of the mass action to be disbanded.” At 07:12, the police managed to force them out of the Gizi garden (just behind the Nun Biru Gate monument). Not accepting the brutal actions of the officers, one of the masses took photos of the officers. “He was immediately chased by intelligence and police to the front of the road. After we were in front of the Gizi park main road, the police then pushed us into the Oyehe market and continued to push until we reached the end of the Oyehe terminal.” "We want to disband. But the Police Chief and his men forced us not to go home and had to get into the police truck. We are surrounded. The police chief also threatened us with words that he would take us to a faraway place. The police chief also asked us to take off all the masks we were wearing," he said. When they were surrounded, he said, a woman took a photo but the woman was shouted at and her cellphone was taken by the police. After the police truck arrived, he continued, at around 08:01, they were transported and taken to the Nabire Police Headquarters. At 08:14, they were interrogated. “They asked for our name, address, occupation, status, etc. by yelling at us one by one. Only our friend, Wakakorlap, Adiknas Pekei, was examined with the BAP," he explained. It was said, after the examination, at 16:20 accompanied by the Papua Talent LBH Nabire, they were removed from the Nabire Police Headquarters. Meanwhile, another mass protest from Kalibobo, which initially gathered at the Intan Jaya dormitory together with nine (9) BEM campuses in Nabire to conduct a free pulpit, was also forcibly dispersed by the authorities after the Nabire Police Station deployed hundreds of personnel with full weapons. However, before the officers came down and dispersed, they managed to hold a free pulpit on the street (reading poetry, singing and giving speeches). And also succeeded in reading out the statement of position read by the head of the general field coordinator (Korlap) for the action, Abia Pujau. Seeing the officers coming, all the masses of the action entered the dormitory. The officers broke down the gate and almost chaos ensued. No protesters were arrested. Regarding the assistance carried out by the Papua Talent LBH Nabire, Suara Papua has contacted the director of the Nabire Papua Talent LBH, Richar Danny Nawipa through his phone number twice to ask for information but was not picked up.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jun 3, 2022
- Event Description
Ten members of the peaceful demonstration mass demanding the revocation of Otsus volume II and the rejection of the expansion of the New Autonomous Regions (DOB) for West Papua and Papua were injured as a result of the forced disbandment by police officers from the Sorong Regional Police, in the courtyard of the Sorong City DPRD Office, Friday (3/03/2020). 6/2022).
Three of them were hit by rubber bullets. Aves Susim, 25 years old, was shot by a rubber bullet in the leg. Subi Taplo, 27, was shot in the shoulder, and Agustinus Kamat, 27, hit other body parts.
Meanwhile, seven other people were injured as a result of the forced dispersal of the police and tear gas.
The following are the names of the injured and gunshot wounds of rubber bullets:
Aves Susim, 25 years old (He was shot by a rubber bullet in the thigh). Sriyani Wanane, 30 years old (Wounds on knee and big toe). Mama Rita Tenau, 50 years old (wound on temple) Betty Kosamah, 22 years old (Leg wound). Agus Edoway, 25 years old (Tear gas in the shoulder). Agustinus Kamat, 27 years old (He was shot by a rubber bullet). Subi Taplo, 27 years old (He was hit by a rubber bullet in the shoulder). Amanda Yumte, 23 years old (Swollen legs and tear gas). Jack Asmuruf, 20 years old (Toe wound). Sonya Korain, 22 years old (Leg wound)
Previously, at around 2:25 p.m. Papua time, a peaceful demonstration demanding the revocation of the second volume of Otsus and the rejection of the expansion of the new autonomous regions in Sorong came to the Sorong City DPRD office.
While giving speeches in the courtyard of the DPRD office, they asked the chairman of the DPRD of Sorong City to meet them, but this effort did not materialize. The crowd, disappointed, burned tires at around 15.12 Papua time. As a result, the authorities took action and forcibly dispersed the crowd using tear gas and rubber bullets.
One of the protesters who suffered an injury to the right temple was Mama Rita Tenau (50). He was part of the mass action that came to the Sorong City DPRD office.
During the long march to the Sorong City DPRD office at 11:00 Papua time, the mass of action raised a flag similar to the Morning Star or the Morning Star, but it didn't last long. Only three minutes flew between the masses of action, after that his party again secured the flag which had been the reason for the apparatus to detain Papuan activists.
Previously, the Head of the Ops Section of the Sorong Police, M. Nur Makmur, who had visited the mass of action, explained that his party had carried out the disbandment because the mass of action did not heed the instructions of the officers.
“They have secured the mass of the demonstration to the DPRD building. The DPRD representatives have already left, but the masses of the demonstration refused. We have emphasized that if we burn tires, we will not hesitate to disband them,” explained the Head of Ops.
So far there has been no confirmation from the police regarding 10 people injured.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jun 2, 2022
- Event Description
On 2 June, Sitanun Satsaksit, the sister of Wanchalearm Satsaksit and legal advisors sought an audience with the Cambodian ambassador to Thailand to request an update on an investigation into the political refugee’s abduction in Phnom Penh on 4 June 2020. Their request was denied before they could enter the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok.
With the second anniversary of Wanchalearm’s disappearance a few days away, Sitanun and legal advisors went to the Cambodian embassy on Pracha Uthit Road to inquire about progress in a police investigation ordered by the Phnom Penh Court in 2020 after a disappearance case was filed.
They were not welcomed. The embassy’s front sign was fenced off and dozens of Thai police officers, in both plain clothes and uniforms, were waiting for them to arrive.
At the embassy, Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, a Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF) director and legal advocate against enforced disappearance and torture, asked if they could meet the ambassador to submit their request for an investigation update.
Instead, embassy staff ordered accompanying journalists to stop taking photos and shortly thereafter, Pol Maj Sarot Somhanwong, an inspector from the Wangthonglang police station that oversees the area, told the group that the Embassy advised them to submit their petition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead, an action that they have already taken without effect.
It has been two years since Wanchalearm was grabbed by a group of unidentified men in front of Mekong Garden, a luxury condominium in the middle of Cambodia's capital city. Thus far, the investigation has made no progress. Buck Passing
Having filed numerous complaints and petitions with relevant authorities in Thailand and Cambodia, Sitanun questioned why both countries continue to pass the buck about Wanchalearm’s disappearance. After two years, she is angry and exhausted about how little progress has been made, but remains determined to discover her brother’s fate.
“Given what happened to Wanchalearm, don’t we have the right to ask for help? It has been two years. We have submitted so many documents that we no longer know who else to contact. Silence and inaction are all we have gotten from Thai and Cambodian authorities,” said Sitanun.
According a statement from CrCF that was meant to have been submitted to the embassy today, Thailand’s Office of the Attorney General issued a letter on 19 May 2022 asking for an update from the Cambodian National Police Headquarters and Phnom Penh Court via Thailand’s Department of Consular Affairs.
A response was received on 24 February 2022 that further testimony in the case was being acquired. The outcome of the process was reportedly secret and further information could not be immediately provided but the Thai Embassy in Cambodia was to be given further updates.
In Thailand, the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) issued a statement on 1 March 2022, saying that it had accepted Wanchalearm’s case for investigation, listed as case number 13/2564. The DSI also reported that it had received documents and requested additional information from relevant Thai and Cambodian authorities.
According to Montana Duangprapa, a Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) lawyer, although Wanchalearm case is under investigation by the Cambodian police as a result of a Phnom Penh Court ruling, his relatives have still not received any significant updates about the investigation. A plea for justice
Wanchalearm, a former civil society worker and staff member of Pheu Thai Party’s Bangkok gubernatorial election campaign team in 2013, went into self-exile three days after the coup in 2014. He flew out of Thailand, narrowly escaping military arrest.
He was summoned by the NCPO along with 28 other activists to report to a military facility in Bangkok on 1 June 2014. A week later, the junta issued a warrant for his arrest under the Computer Crime Act for political statements he allegedly posted to his Facebook page ‘I must have got 10 million baht from Thaksin’, a pro-Thaksin parody page.
After a short stay in Malaysia, Wanchalearm settled in Phnom Penh, where a sympathetic Cambodian official put him up in Mekong Gardens. Several other Thai dissidents lived there in self-imposed exile at the time.
On 4 June 2020, Wanchalearm, who had been living under the alias of ‘Sok Heng’, disappeared. His friends, family, the United Nations and human rights groups allege that he was abducted by a group of armed men that afternoon while buying food on the street outside Mekong Gardens.
Wanchalearm’s sister Sitanun says she was on the phone with him during the alleged abduction and that she heard him say “I can’t breathe” before the line went dead.
CrCF has issued a statement calling for the Cambodian government to conduct an effective investigation to determine Wanchalearm’s fate and provide information to his family members.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Right to information
- HRD
- Lawyer, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jun 2, 2022
- Event Description
Pham Doan Trang’s mother, Bui Thi Thien Can, was detained at Noi Bai Airport for questioning by security police for four hours. She was detained as she returned to Hanoi from her trip to Geneva to accept the Martin Ennals Human Rights Award on behalf of her daughter on June 2. During the three-week visit, Mrs Bui met with more than 20 representatives from the EU, several international organizations, officials at Switzerland Foreign Ministry, representatives from the UNHCR, a number of UN Special Rapporteurs, the US ambassador to Geneva, and officials from Canada and the Czech Republic. According to one of her children, the octogenarian was finally released after midnight in a state of total exhaustion.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 1, 2022
- Event Description
A factory refusing a Labor Ministry order to reinstate fired unionists has dismissed 10 more union members this week.
SYHJ Garment, a Chinese-owned factory in Kandal province’s Ang Snuol district, fired three leaders of a newly emerging union in April, leading to a Labor Ministry directive that the terminations violated Trade Union Law protections for shop steward and union leaders. But the factory has remained defiant.
Hul Sokhim, president of the new union — one of the three fired in the initial round of terminations — said on Wednesday that 10 other workers had been laid off this week. She said it was illegal union busting.
“The owner dismissed them without clear reason. They were voters who supported those who stood as my union’s representatives,” she said. “Frankly speaking, those who were involved with me … were dismissed.”
Ny Mao, one of the 10 workers fired this week, said the termination was unreasonable. He worked overtime and weekends like other workers, and had committed no transgressions of company policies, he said.
“During work, they called me to dismiss me. I did nothing wrong,” Mao said. “I don’t understand how my work was lacking?”
Prum Kosal, an executive assistant at SYHJ, said the factory had dismissed workers because they violated the company’s internal rules on several points. He said the company was not concerned about the union’s complaints.
“The company dismissed them because they had issues with our internal rules, including that they did not cooperate much and did not pay attention to the company’s work.”
Independent Trade Union Federation president Ry Sithinet said his federation would help the factory’s workers file a complaint to the Labor Ministry requesting reinstatement.
“[We] are translating them to English. When we are ready, we will submit them to buyers. We have found that three brands are involved with the factory SYHJ,” but the federation had yet to ascertain who they were, Sithinet said. On Thursday, Sithinet said the brands were Mango and Inditex’s Bershka, both Spanish, and Sinsay, from Poland.
The federation said in a statement that a similar case was ongoing at Walmart shoe supplier Qi Ming Xin, also in Kandal province. The factory had fired five union leaders earlier this year, and the Labor Ministry issued an order on March 16 to reinstate and compensate them. The company had not complied, the statement said.
Around 350 union leaders and active members have been unfairly dismissed since the start of 2020, the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union has estimated.
- Impact of Event
- 10
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Labour rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to work
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Corporation (others)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jun 1, 2022
- Event Description
Around 100 indigenous residents gathered outside the Preah Vihear Provincial Court on Wednesday as five community members were questioned by court prosecutors for alleged threats to kill and damage property.
The five village residents — Thon Sot, Son Savon, Ngorn Him, Thab Sokkey and Rourng Khan — were summoned to court for questioning on Wednesday after Ly Kimsreng, who they have a land dispute with, filed a complaint.
Residents of the Preah Vihear’s Tbeng Meanchey commune have faced persistent issues with their traditional farmlands, first from five Chinese sugarcane companies that were granted around 40,000 hectares of the land in four provinces, often referred to together as Rui Feng. More recently, residents said they had reclaimed their land only to be harassed by alleged representatives of the company and newcomers who were claiming land in the district.
Village residents alleged Kimsreng had been trying to clear their land earlier this year and they only attempted to stop the destruction of their crops.
Savon said all five attended the court hearing and denied all the accusations. He said Kimsreng was attempting to scare the village residents away.
“Where should we do farming?” he said. “We request the court to end these charges against us. This is an injustice for us.”
Savon said he wouldn’t stop fighting for their land even if local authorities got involved in the case.
Am Sam Ath, from rights group Licadho, said the case was another example of the rich and well-connected using the courts to harass people and undermine their rights.
VOD could not reach Kimsreng on Wednesday.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to property
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- May 31, 2022
- Event Description
Police briefly arrested three union representatives amid a demonstration of more than 1,000 shoe-factory workers in Kampong Chhnang, saying workers should be only allowed to submit letters, not protest.
At least 5,600 workers at Can Sports Shoe, a supplier for Adidas, gave thumbprints supporting a strike about 35 demands that have accumulated over several years, according to workers and labor rights groups.
Only a few hundred went into work on Tuesday as more than 1,000 workers gathered outside the factory in Samakki Meanchey district’s Sethei commune and blocked a road, they said.
Deputy provincial police chief Ear Bunthoeun said three union leaders had been arrested, but released after they agreed to stop organizing chaos.
“If workers want to demand benefits, just let them do it and submit letters. But we can’t allow inciters to provoke demonstrations and work stoppages,” Bunthoeun said.
Public order could be disrupted by demonstrations, he said. The workers had blocked National Road 5, which could suffer traffic jams even with short disruptions, he added.
Noem Sokhoeun, one of the arrested union leaders, said he had been accused of incitement to commit a felony.
“I think it’s a violation of my rights,” Sokhoeun said, adding that he had not organized the protest himself.
The contract he signed on Tuesday says he promises not to gather workers for protests or demonstrations that cause chaos in the factory, and not to commit any acts in the factory against the law.
According to labor rights group Central, the two other union leaders are Sean Sokleab and Pen Sophorn.
Patrick Lee, legal consultant at Central, said: “My view is that these union leaders have been arrested for the sole purpose of attempting to restrict workers’ fundamental right to peacefully strike. The authorities should be acting as mediators and not use their power to restrict workers’ rights and freedoms.”
A list of 35 demands from the workers details accumulated grievances related to payment schedules and methods, medical facilities at the factory, and the availability of food vendors and allowances.
Factory worker Kan Savy said more than 1,000 workers had protested on Tuesday, while another worker, Nou Sitouch, estimated that most of around 8,000 striking workers at the factory gathered outside from around 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Yang Sophorn, the president of Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions, said Can Sports Shoe had more than 10,000 workers in total, and some grievances stretched back two decades.
Two of the union leaders had been arrested Monday evening even before the protest was held, Sophorn added.
“It’s inappropriate as the authorities have the duty to give justice to people and workers,” she said, adding that the factory union had informed the employer about the peaceful demonstration.
“This is a means of threatening workers who are just peacefully exercising their legal rights as stated in the law.”
A woman who picked up on a number listed with the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia for the factory denied she was part of factory management.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- May 30, 2022
- Event Description
Five teenagers suffered multiple injuries after regime soldiers plowed their vehicle into them following a flash mob protest in Yangon on Monday, according to activist sources.
Myat Min Khant, the Yangon district chair of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), said the incident occurred at around 11am on Thu Mingalar Street in South Okkalapa Township.
“Normally, people just run off on their own when they disperse after a protest, but they stayed together as a small group, which is what raised the military’s suspicions,” he said.
According to Myat Min Khant, four of the injured protesters were boys, and one was a girl. Further information about their identities was not available at the time of reporting.
After running into the teens with their Toyota Mark II, the soldiers beat them with the butts of their rifles, he added.
“We still don’t know how bad their injuries are as they were taken away right after they were hit,” he said. However, they were believed to have suffered serious abrasions to their heads, backs, arms and legs, according to the ABFSU.
“I have been told that they are being held at the South Okkalapa Police Station,” the ABFSU district chair added.
s.okkalapa_protest-2.jpeg Protesters march in Yangon’s South Okkalapa Township on May 30 (Supplied)
Around 30 people took part in Monday’s protest march, which began at the Zarli Taung housing complex on Thu Mingalar Street and ended at the intersection with Yadanar Road.
Three other protesters, all aged 15 or 16, were also pursued by the regime’s forces but managed to escape, according to the ABFSU.
A similar incident occurred last December, when soldiers drove into a crowd of protesters in Yangon’s Kyimyindaing Township, killing several people and injuring a number of others.
On April 20, junta troops riding in a double cab pickup truck smashed into a car carrying three women who had taken part in an anti-regime demonstration in South Okkalapa.
Despite facing such brutal tactics from the military, Myat Min Khan said that protests would continue, albeit in a different form.
“It would be too much for us if we kept running into these situation, so we will continue to protest in other ways,”he said.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- May 26, 2022
- Event Description
The protest against the new NPO bill is now in its 4th day since it occupied the street in front of the United Nations headquarters on Monday (23 May), while concerns are being raised as the police try to convince them to move to make way for an upcoming royal motorcade.
After the activist and NGO network People’s Movement Against the Draft Laws that Undermine Freedom of Association staged a protest on 24 March and getting no response to the petition submitted to Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and Social Development and Human Security Minister Juti Krairiksh calling for the drafting process to cease, protesters gathered in front of the UN headquarters on Ratchadamnoen Road on Monday to demand that the government withdraw the bill. The network said that they will occupy the area until their demand is met.
The NPO bill has been criticized as a threat to freedom of association and giving state officials the authority to oversee, and possibly obstruct the work of a wide range of civil society organisations, since it defines NPOs as groups “that organise, in one form or another, to collectively pursue activities in society without seeking financial gain, exclusive of groups that stage ad-hoc activities of benefit to group members or political parties.”
The bill also gives state officials the authority to temporarily or permanently shut down any NPO seen as violating the bill’s provisions, which are vaguely worded and can be widely interpreted.
Under this bill, NPOs will be required to register with the government and to comply with all Ministry of the Interior regulations. Once the law is in effect, existing organisations will have 30 days to register. Those operating an unregistered organisation face punishments of up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 200,000 baht or both.
The bill prohibits organisations from engaging in activities that threaten national security, economic stability, foreign relations, public order, public safety and the rights and liberties of others.
It also attempts to control NPO funding, prohibiting groups from using foreign funding to pursue activities deemed inappropriate by the Ministry of the Interior. In addition, it gives state agents the authority to search NPO offices and make copies of their online communications. NPOs receiving overseas funding will need to provide authorities with bank records showing where funds are held and what purpose they serve.
After requesting that a government representative come to meet them at the protest site and getting no response, on Tuesday (24 May), the protesters marched to Government House to submit their petition calling for the bill to be withdrawn and for a government representative to also sign a written agreement promising that the bill will not be presented to the Cabinet.
During the march, the protesters faced multiple police blockades. They finally arrived at Chamai Maru Chet bridge next to Government House, which was blocked by razor wire and units of crowd control police. Anucha Nakasai, Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister, then came to receive the protesters' letter stating their demands.
After speaking with Anucha and receiving no answer or commitments, the protesters returned to their camp in front of the UN, where they will continue to stay until their demands are met.
Earlier on Thursday (26 May), police officers came to tell the protesters that there will be a royal motorcade passing through Ratchadamnoen Nok Road on its way to Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus for the university’s graduation ceremony on 27 – 29 May, and asked that the protesters move to another location for a few days.
The protest leaders insisted that they will not be moving until their demands are met. Activist Lertsak Khamkongsak said after several negotiations with police officers that they will continue to protest, and told the police to leave and to stop taking pictures of the protesters.
The police’s action caused concerns among protesters that they will be forcibly dispersed. Lertsak, along with activists Juthamat Srihatthapadungkit and Somboon Khamhang, gave a press conference as representatives of the protesters during the afternoon. He reported that police officers have claimed that the protesters are obstructing traffic or are creating a risk of spreading Covid-19. They said that they have explained to the authorities that other groups have used the space for protest, and that traffic can still move normally through Ratchadamnoen Nok Road. The protesters also wear face masks and take Covid-19 tests, while temperature screening points have been set up around the protest site.
According to the three activists, the police’s actions, including walking around the protest site and looking at how the protesters set up their camp, raised questions about what the authorities want with them.
Juthamat said that this is not the first time they have spoken out against the NPO bill, but the cabinet is refusing to consider their demands. She said that if the police are truly concerned about the women, children, and older people at the protest, they should be facilitating the activities, not harassing the protesters. She said that the protest is peaceful and unarmed, and that they have filed a complaint with the Civil Court for a temporary injunction protecting their right to protest, which the Court will give its ruling on Friday (27 May).
Lertsak said that the police might be preparing to forcibly disperse of the protesters. He told the protesters that, if they are dispersed, they will face any police violence without weapons, and anyone who is ready to face the police to come to the tent in front of the protest site. He said that they must be on watch all night, and that it is the police’s responsibility to manage traffic, but they did not do their job and are using it as a pretext to try to get the protesters to leave. He also said that no officer has ever shown up to see whether they have proper disease control measures, but they showed up on Thursday to try to legitimize any dispersal that might take place.
At around 17.00, several protesters dressed in kangaroo costumes went to the Siam shopping district and scattered leaflets about the need to protest against the bill near the Siam BTS station and Siam Square One shopping mall. They also stood on the Pathumwan Skywalk holding a banner saying “People’s Movement Against the Draft Laws that Undermine Freedom of Association” and gave out leaflets to passers-by.
According to the Facebook page No NPO bill, the activity is to show that the government is trying to issue a law to control all kinds of association, which would affect everyone, and to spread information about the bill, the rights to freedom of association and freedom of assembly, and why the bill should be stopped.
iLaw reported today (27 May) that police officers in riot gears lined up along Ratchadamneon Nok road in front of the UN headquarters at around 16.00, blocking the protesters from view as a royal motorcade went by. An officer made an announcement through a sound amplifier insisting that the police will not forcibly disperse the protesters.
After the royal motorcade has gone, Lertsak demanded that the police move to the traffic island and to line up again when the royal motorcade is returning. If not, he asked that they turn their backs to the protesters. He also told the protesters to continue their activities.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 25, 2022
- Event Description
Karapatan condemns in strongest possible terms the attempt of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to disperse the peaceful indignation protest today at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) compound using violent force. According to health marshals, at least 10 individuals were reportedly injured after being hit with truncheons and shields while the protest was being bombed with water from a firetruck.
The right to peaceful assembly and protest is a basic right enshrined in our constitution; even our laws guarantee the exercise of this right, especially in a designated freedom park such the CHR’s Liwasang Diokno. Is the violent dispersal today a prelude of things to come under a Marcos-Duterte administration — where exercising our basic rights and freedoms are met with brazen State violence?
We will not take these violations sitting down, and in the face of the looming return of the forces of tyranny and fascism, all the more that we will protest and resist any and all attempts to unleash the horrors of Marcosian martial law and State repression. All the more that we should take to the streets and denounce a despotic tandem that has cheated their way to victory through lies, historical distortions, and mass deception.
We call on the CHR to investigate and condemn the PNP’s attempt to violently disperse a peaceful assembly right within their premises, and to hold the responsible PNP officials accountable for the incident. Above all, we call on all freedom-loving Filipinos to bravely stand to defend our hard-won rights and freedoms, and to reject the Marcos-Duterte tandem.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- May 25, 2022
- Event Description
Do Le Na, the visually impaired wife of Le Trong Hung, took her two sons to visit their father on May 15 as scheduled. But when she got there she was told the schedule was changed, without being given a reason; she was told to come back the next day, which she did. Finally, after 411 days the children were able to see their father for the first time in a brief 30-minute visit. Hung reported he had contracted Covid earlier but was coping well; he said he was also suffering from back pain. Hung mentioned he was not eating food that she bought from the canteen out of concern that prison officials might spike it with drugs in an effort to send him to a psychiatric hospital.
RFA Viet 3 June reported that on 25 May, Mr Hung - currently serving 5 years jail for anti-state propaganda - has been transferred to a further away prison 350km in distance from his home, where his visually impaired wife lives with their two young children.
Mr Hung's new prison is prison 6, Nghe An province. Mrs Le Na told RFA Viet, she wasn't informed of the prison transfer. Only when she came to temporary detention centre no 1, Tu Liem, Hanoi to bring him supplies on 1 June that she was informed of this. She said, during the time Mr Hung was transferred to the new prison, Hanoi police even sent people to her place to guard her and her two children, to intimidate them. '...My husband's only offence was being patriotic and trusting Party Chief Trong, thinking that he could help the Party Chief in his anti-corruption campaign by raising awareness about [officials'] wrongdoings and gifting copies of the nation's constitution to the people to raise their understanding.
'Yet, for that, my husband was jailed and transferred to a very remote prison, notorious for its harsh conditions, among the worst in Vietnam.' Mrs Le Na said.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- May 23, 2022
- Event Description
The Phnom Penh Appeal Court this morning upheld the baseless September 2018 convictions of four current and former ADHOC staffers - Ny Sokha, Nay Vanda, Yi Soksan, and Lim Mony - and National Election Committee official Ny Chakrya, all of whom were previously imprisoned and convicted on spurious charges of bribery.
Sokha, Vanda, Soksan, and Mony were convicted on 26 September 2018 for bribery of a witness under Article 548 of the Criminal Code. Chakrya, who was serving as deputy secretary-general of the National Election Committee at the time of his arrest, was convicted as an accomplice to bribery of a witness under Articles 29 and 548 of the Criminal Code. The arrests came during a broader crackdown on civil society and the political opposition in Cambodia. All five human rights defenders served 14 months in pre-trial detention before being released on bail in June 2017, and were later sentenced to five years in prison with the remaining time suspended.
Both the defendants and the prosecutor filed appeals, with the defendants seeking to be exonerated and the prosecutor appealing to have the five human rights defenders serve the full five years in prison. The Appeal Court rejected both appeals, upholding the original convictions and suspended sentences of all five defendants.
The five human rights defenders were all current and former staff of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) at the time of their arrest. They were accused of paying a woman to make false statements regarding another case linked to then-opposition leader Kem Sokha.
None of the witnesses named in the case appeared for the lower court proceedings, during which no credible evidence was presented by the prosecution. Requests by the defence to summons witnesses at the Appeal Court hearing were denied, as was a request to delay the hearing.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- May 21, 2022
- Event Description
Police in Vietnam’s capital on May 21 arrested Hanoi resident and human rights activist Truong Van Dung, charging him under Article 88 of Vietnam’s 1999 Penal Code with “conducting propaganda against the State,” Dung’s wife Nghiem Thi Hop told RFA the same day.
Dung, who was born in 1958, was taken into custody at around 7 a.m. at the couple’s home, Hop said.
“While I was out shopping, I received a phone call from a neighbor telling me he had been arrested, and I came back at 7:30 but they had already taken him away.”
Police in plain clothes then arrived and read out an order to search the house, taking away books, notebooks, laptop computers and protest banners, she added.
Dung had participated in protests in Hanoi including demonstrations against China’s occupation of the Paracel Islands — an island group in the South China Sea also claimed by Vietnam — and protests against the Taiwan-owned Formosa Company for polluting the coastline of four central Vietnamese provinces of Vietnam in 2016.
Public protests even over perceived harm to Vietnam’s interests are considered threats to its political stability and are routinely suppressed by the police.
Dung’s arrest under Article 88 of Vietnam’s Penal Code is the second arrest on national security charges reported since Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s May 12-17 visit to the U.S. Cao Thi Cue, owner of the Peng Lai Temple in southern Vietnam’s Long An province, was arrested on charges of “abusing the rights to freedom and democracy” under Article 331 of the 2015 Penal Code.
Both laws have been criticized by rights groups as tools used to stifle voices of dissent in the one-party communist state.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- May 20, 2022
- Event Description
An ethnic Ede Montagnard minority activist was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for submitting three reports about human rights violations in Vietnam to “reactionary forces” overseas, another activist who followed his trial said.
A court in Cu Kuin district, Dak Lak province, sentenced Y Wo Nie on the charge of “abusing the rights to freedom and democracy” under Article 331 of Vietnam’s Penal Code, said activist Vo Ngoc Luc, who followed the trial developments as they were broadcast over a local loudspeaker.
The article prohibits citizens from abusing “the rights to freedom and democracy to violate the State’s interests and the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals.” Rights groups have criticized the statute as providing authorities widespread latitude to crack down on any criticism of the government.
Nie participated in several online training courses held by “reactionary forces.” The classes included lessons on religious faith, Vietnam Civil Law, international human rights law, the Montagnard experience in Vietnam, and how to document human rights abuses, according to the online news outlet Congly, the mouthpiece of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam.
“Learning about human rights is very good — that’s what I told security officers whom I met this morning,” Luc said. “You cannot convict [people] for taking online courses on human rights.”
Prosecutors failed to provide evidence to support a second accusation against Nie for “providing false information,” Luc said.
“They were all general and ambiguous accusations,” he said.
“Saying the sentence was too heavy is wrong,” Luc added. “I would say it was groundless. If we lived in a civilized world, then the court would declare his innocence, set him free right at the trial, and the investigation agency would apologize him.”
In its indictment, the Cu Kuin People’s Procuracy said that in 2020 Nie collected distorting and false information and composed three reports on human rights violations and sent them to “reactionary forces overseas” via the WhatsApp instant messaging service.
The indictment also said Nie met with the delegates from the U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in Vietnam when they visited the Gia Lai province in June 2020.
The judges concluded that Nie’s acts had affected social safety and order, political security and government administrative agencies’ activities, undermining confidence in the regime and at home and abroad.
When Nie was arrested in September 2020, Cu Kuin police officers said that they seized “many materials with false content and images slandering, insulting and defaming the prestige and dignity of the party, state, local authorities, the public security forces in Cu Kuin district and in Dak Lak province.”
Prior to the September 2020 arrest, Nie received a nine-year jail term for “sabotaging the national unity policy.”
In recent decades, many ethnic minority groups in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, including the Montagnards, have been persecuted for their religious beliefs and seen their land confiscated without adequate compensation. The crackdowns tend to ramp up on the groups when they try to fight back and report these human rights abuses, activists said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- May 20, 2022
- Event Description
Regime forces shot and killed a third-year medical student in Sagaing Region’s Myinmu Township on Friday, according to a source close to the victim’s family.
Kyaw Nyi Zin, 21, died after junta troops opened fire on the vehicle that he and other members of his family were traveling in on their way from Mandalay to Monywa.
“They were going to a wedding in Monywa and the military told them to stop. But then they started shooting before they even had a chance to slow down. Kyaw Nyi Zin was shot in the head,” the source said.
After the incident, the family took Kyaw Nyi Zin to Monywa to receive emergency medical treatment, but he later died of his injuries, the source added.
Kyaw Nyi Zin was a student at the University of Medicine, Mandalay, one of five universities in Myanmar dedicated to the study of medicine.
Since last year, however, he had stopped attending classes at the state-run university in order to take part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against military rule.
A funeral was held for him in Mandalay on Saturday.
“I’m getting used to the horror, but this still breaks my heart,” said a Mandalay-based doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“They do as they please, just because they have weapons.”
Healthcare workers have been at the forefront of the anti-coup movement, making them frequent targets of arrest and regime brutality. An estimated 80% of the medical staff in Mandalay are currently taking part in the CDM.
Dr. Thiha Tin Tun, a Mandalay doctor, was among more than 100 people killed in crackdowns on anti-coup protests around the country on March 27 of last year.
The junta has revoked the licenses of medical professionals who refuse to work in hospitals under its control, and has also threatened to shut down private hospitals that hire doctors taking part in the CDM.
As a result of these moves, hundreds of doctors in Mandalay alone are believed to have lost their livelihood for resisting last year’s military takeover.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- May 20, 2022
- Event Description
Four monarchy reform activists were again denied bail on 20 May, including Tantawan Tuatulanon, who has been on a hunger strike for the past 32 days to demand the right to bail, while a protest caravan visited the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court and the Bangkok Remand Prison to demand the release of 11 detained activists.
The Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court on 20 May again denied bail to monarchy reform activist Tantawan Tuatulanon, who is currently held in pre-trial detention on a royal defamation charge and has been on a hunger strike for the past 30 days to demand the right to bail for detained activists.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that the public prosecutor requested the Court to continue detaining Tantawan for another 7 days, claiming that her case has to be forwarded to the Attorney General Commission to see whether she should be indicted and that this is standard procedure for royal defamation cases.
The Court subsequently approved the request, and scheduled a bail hearing for Tantawan on 26 May after Move Forward Party MP Pita Limjaroenrat posted bail for her using his MP status as security. The order was signed by judge Parit Piyanaratorn, Deputy Chief Justice of the Criminal Court.
Pita previously submitted a bail request for Tantawan on Tuesday 17 May, but his request was denied after the Court claimed that he did not submit a pay slip, even though he submitted a certifying letter from the Secretariat of the House of Representatives, which stated the amount of his salary as an MP.
He said today after filing a bail request for Tantawan that, according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), anyone accused of breaking the law should be presumed to be innocent until they are tried and found guilty. He is also concerned about her health as she has been on a hunger strike for 30 days.
He also said that he was informed that his previous bail request was denied due to a documentation error. He said that he is not so naïve that he wouldn’t know the difference between a pay slip and a salary certification letter, but he believes that the difference is not a significant issue, that he was told by his lawyers that he may submit these documents, and that the matter of Tantawan’s health is more important than documents.
Pita said that the Move Forward Party has a list of activists currently in detention and that its MPs will be posting bail for them. The Party will also propose an amendment to the royal defamation law, but he is not sure when the proposal will go before parliament.
Tantawan, 20, was charged with royal defamation, resisting officers, and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for live broadcasting before a royal motorcade on 5 March, during which she questioned the priorities of the police and the King as farmers protesting in the area at the time were forced to move to clear the route.
She was detained at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau located inside the Police Club from 5 March to 7 March when she was granted bail on a 100,000-baht security on the conditions that she must not repeat her offense or participate in activities which damage the monarchy, and must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
She was also charged with royal defamation and sedition for conducting a poll on royal motorcades at Siam Paragon on 8 February 2022.
The Court revoked Tantawan’s bail on 20 April, claiming she had broken her bail conditions by going near a royal motorcade and posting about the monarchy on Facebook. She has been held in pre-trial detention at the Women’s Central Correctional Institution for the past 30 days and has been on a hunger strike throughout her detention to demand the right to bail for detained activists, raising concerns that her condition will deteriorate further if she continues to be detained.
According to TLHR, Tantawan has lost 4 kg, is severely fatigued, and has fainted several times a day. She has not been taking anything but milk and water, and has told her lawyers that she will drink only water until she is released if she is not granted bail this time. Three other activists denied bail
Three other monarchy reform activists currently in pre-trial detention on royal defamation charges were also denied bail on 20 May.
The police requested the court today to detain activist Sopon Surariddhidhamrong for 12 more days, claiming that they are still processing evidence in the case and have to interview another witness, even though they admitted that Sopon would not be able to tamper with the evidence and that the last time the Court approved a detention request for Sopon, the judge said that it would be the last time.
Nevertheless, the Court approved the request and ordered Sopon to be detained for another 7 days. His lawyers filed a bail request, which was subsequently denied on the ground that there is no cause to change existing court order. The order was signed by judge Parit Piyanaratorn.
Sopon, a 23-year-old radiological technology student, was arrested while he was leaving a Labour Day event in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. He was charged with royal defamation and using a sound amplifier without permission for a speech he gave during a protest march in the Ratchadamnoen area on 22 April 2022. Anon Klinkaew, a member of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy who filed the complaint against Sopon, said the speech defamed Queen Suthida.
Sopon is facing two other royal defamation charges; one is for a speech given at the Chakri Memorial Day protest on 6 April 2022 and another for a speech given during a Labour Day rally in front of Government House on 1 May. He is also on a hunger strike to demand the right to bail and has been for 16 days.
Meanwhile, the South Bangkok Criminal Court denied bail again for Baipor and Netiporn, two activists from the monarchy reform activist group Thaluwang. The order was signed by Manas Phakphuwadol, Research Justice of the Supreme Court, serving temporarily as Deputy Chief Justice of the South Bangkok Criminal Court, and made on the grounds that the two have previously broken their bail conditions and that they are likely to commit other offense if released.
According to TLHR, Baipor, who is currently a 1st year student at the Puey Ungphakorn School of Development Studies, Thammasat University, is likely to be expelled from university if she continues to be detained, since she will miss 4 of her final examinations, which will cause her GPA to fall below the university’s requirement to remain enrolled. Keeping her in detention would therefore be an excessive deprivation of her rights and destructive to her future in a situation where she has not been judged guilty, and if she is found to be innocent, the court will not be able to remedy the damage to her education.
Meanwhile, the bail request for Netiporn said that her mother has a heart condition, and that Netiporn and her sister are responsible for paying for their mother’s medical treatment, since their parents are separated. Keeping Netiporn in detention would therefore mean that the family will struggle to cover their mother’s medical expenses. Netiporn herself is also at risk of developing a tumour in her uterus and has been prescribed hormonal therapy by a doctor at Ramathibodi Hospital. Being in detention and not being able to see a doctor would increase the risk to her health.
Baipor and Netiporn have been charged with royal defamation, sedition, and refusing to comply with an officer’s order after they conducted a poll on royal motorcades at Siam Paragon shopping mall on 8 February 2022. They were arrested on 28 April 2022 along with activist Supitcha Chailom and charged with royal defamation for conducting a poll on whether people agree with the government allowing the King to use his powers as he pleases.
In addition to the above charges, Baipor was arrested on 22 April 2022 and charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for sharing a Facebook post about the monarchy budget.
They have been detained since 3 May when their bail was revoked by the South Bangkok Criminal Court, which claimed that they violated their bail conditions by causing public disorder by participating in another poll on land expropriation on 13 March 2022 at the Victory Monument, during which a small altercation took place between Thaluwang supporters and members of a royalist group gathering nearby. Protest at court and prison demand the right to bail
To demand the right to bail for detained activists, the activist network Citizens for the Abolition of 112, which has been campaigning for the release of detained activists and the repeal of the royal defamation law, staged a ‘car mob’ protest. A caravan of cars and motorcycles carrying white flags saying “free our friends” and pictures of detained activists drove from the Democracy Monument to the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court, and then to the Bangkok Remand Prison.
Activist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk said before the caravan took off from the Democracy Monument that the royal defamation law is being used to destroy democracy and human rights, and that activists like Tantawan are being denied the right to bail.
He noted that the 11 activists currently detained are still presumed to be innocent and are fighting for the people’s rights and freedoms, and questioned whether the courts are exercising their power for justice or the protection of the people.
In front of the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court, protesters hung a banner saying “Free political prisoners, repeal Section 112” from an overpass in front of the Court and scattered papers containing various messages from the overpass. Representatives of the network then submitted a petition to the Criminal Court calling for the right to bail for detained activists.
The petition said that the right to bail is a fundamental right and stemmed from the principle of presumption of innocence, which is the most basic principle in criminal proceedings, and that denying or revoking bail on the grounds that a defendant is going to commit another offense or cause public disorder is not in accordance with legal principles.
The petition noted that the detained activists’ actions were an exercise of their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and to deny them bail on the grounds that they are likely to repeat their offense or cause danger is not in line with the fact that their actions are not dangerous. The courts also have other means to use in place of detention, such as requiring a defendant to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, and activists who were detained on the grounds that they are a flight risk have never tried to flee.
Somyot said after the petition was submitted that he is concerned about Tantawan, and asked why she was charged with royal defamation for conducting public polls. He said that defendants in cases relating to political expression should be granted bail and that the 11 detained activists should be released.
Labour rights activist Sripai Nonsi said that the detained activists did nothing wrong and that they were only asking questions about someone who is using taxpayers’ money.
“The world today has progressed so far that there is nothing you can hide. The court itself should consider and reflect upon itself how it could do its job well. I ask the court to have some dignity and consider the cases fairly, and I ask it to return our country’s future to society,” Sripai said.
The caravan then moved to the Bangkok Remand Prison, where protesters tied yellow and black ribbons, as well as flags containing images of detained activists to the razor wire barricade in front of the prison entrance.
Another group of activists also went to the Supreme Court on the morning of 20 May to submit a petition to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to demand that the detained activists be granted bail.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 18, 2022
- Event Description
Various groups condemned the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict for the latest red-tagging of journalism professor Danilo Arao and election watchdog Kontra Daya.
The recent red-tagging spree was published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), with Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz as their lone source.
Celiz claims to have held several positions in the underground movement in the Philippines. Of late, he has been notoriously red-tagging progressive organizations as part of the NTF-ELCAC.
In their published articles, the PNA wrote that Kontra Daya and Arao are affliated the Communist Party of the Philippines. The report also alleged that Kontra Daya is a project used to manipulate public opinion on the elections.
In a statement, Kontra Daya denounced this, saying that Celiz’ claims are “grounded in falsehoods” which had long been refuted.
“Given his propensity for weaving a web of lies, it comes as no surprise that the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflicts finds him useful for red-tagging which is considered the highest form of ‘fake news’ as it can get a person arrested, tortured or even killed,” said Kontra Daya in their released statement.
IBON Foundation, who had worked with Arao for many years, claimed that the professor was one of their senior staff in 1999, during the time that a “former cadre” accused him of involvement with armed groups.
As an education and advocacy institution, IBON had also held countless trainings and seminars with Arao as one of the resource speakers but it was never as a front for any terrorist group.
“It is delusional and malicious to say that these simple capacity-building activities are organized by the Central Committee of the CPP through Arao as alleged,” said IBON.
Bulatlat, for its part, called out the PNA, and urged them to uphold journalism ethics and not to parrot disinformation that is being spread by the NTF-ELCAC.
“As a state-run news agency, PNA should observe the ethical standards of journalism, as government resources should be utilized for the public good,” said Bulatlat managing editor Ronalyn Olea in a statement.
She added that government resources, “should not be spent endangering the lives of the people, particularly those who are critical of the government.”
--
A former cadre of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) on Wednesday said he has “direct personal knowledge” about Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao’s link with the communist terrorist group (CTG).
“Proof of my claims that Danilo Arao and the leaders and core operatives of Kontra Daya are CPP-NPA-NDF urban operators? And that CPP-NPA-NDF created Kontra Daya? I have direct personal knowledge about Danilo Arao's involvement with the CPP-NPA-NDF as among the local communist terrorists' urban operatives,” said Jeffrey 'Ka Eric' Celiz in a statement.
Celiz, the current secretary-general of a national organization of former rebels dubbed Sentrong Alyansa Ng Mga Mamamayan Para Sa Bayan (Sambayanan), said he personally met Arao with other CPP-NPA-NDF urban operatives in a resort in Laguna during a five-day training and seminar-workshop on urban mass movement campaigns and propaganda operations, including the conduct of media operations in urban mass movement activities, in April 1999.
He said the seminar-workshop was actually a joint activity called upon by the CPP Central Committee staff organs known as CPP National Organizations Department (NOD) and National United Front Commission (NUFC) where Arao was among those who helped facilitate the event.
Similar activities, Celiz said, were also held in March 2001 in preparation for the May 2001 elections in which Arao also participated.
Celiz said it might have been better if he was invited by the ANC when it interviewed Arao on its program on Tuesday.
He said the revolutionary tactic of the CPP-NPA-NDF of using front organizations and activities as cover were “masterfully exhibited and displayed by Danilo Arao in his interview with ANC”.
“How I wish that ANC could have also made due diligence in reaching out to me so that I can confront Danilo Arao, right before a public discussion and be able to tell ANC and the people, how the CPP-NPA-NDF and Danilo Arao operated in order to establish their cover and front electoral project known as Kontra Daya so that their pretensions and hypocrisy could have been exposed more distinctly in a public discourse,” Celiz said.
During the interview, Arao criticized and insulted the government's official media and information group, including the Philippine News Agency, and the media network SMNI and Remate.
Arao challenged Celiz to prove his accusations.
On Monday, the PNA published an article entitled “Watchdog ‘Kontra Daya’ brainchild of CPP-NPA-NDF: ex-cadre” based on a statement issued by Celiz linking Kontra Daya with the CTG.
Celiz, the top nominee of Abante Sambayanan party-list, said their group has been one of the victims of prejudiced and partisan public opinion manipulation, which he called a “mind frame game and conditioning modus operandi.”
Arao accused Celiz and the PNA of red tagging him and the Kontra Daya.
“Truth hurts for the CPP-NPA-NDF and their operatives and functionaries such as Danilo Arao when they are exposed to the people,” Celiz said.
Celiz said there is no such thing as red-tagging, adding that this word is an “invention of the CPP-NPA-NDF” as a defense and an escape switch to deceive the people.
“Conveniently, Arao and his group Kontra Daya used the CPP-NPA-NDF masquerade of 'red tagging' claim as his defense, while doing references to their so-called dangers of 'red tagging' against their personal safety,” he said.
He said Arao's pathetic use of “red tagging” claim as his defense also “blew him away when he parroted the CPP-NPA-NDF personalities.”
Celiz added that truth shall liberate the people from the clutches of communist terrorism that has destroyed the country and the people, most especially the youth, “and Danilo Arao and his Kontra Daya group are part of the conspirators and enablers of the CPP-NPA-NDF”.
“And the proof of it is my direct personal knowledge of the matters that I expose, and I am standing by the truth of what I declare,” Celiz said.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The NDF has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973. (PNA)
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Academic
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- May 18, 2022
- Event Description
Hundreds of ethnic minority households from a commune in south-central Vietnam's Dak Lak province are fighting to reclaim their land from a forestry company after 40 years of working on it as hired laborers.
Protests in Lang village, Ea Pok town, Cu Mgar district began last month, with farmers demanding the return of about 40 hectares of arable land.
Demonstrations came to a head on May 18 when hundreds of people gathered on the land to protest against the coffee company's destruction of their crops.
Videos and photos of the protest were shared on social media, showing riot police clashing with demonstrators.
Demonstrations continued last week, with protestors holding up banners asking the coffee company to return the land. State media has so far not reported on the incident.
“We want the company to return our ancestral land so that people can have a business in the future,” a local resident told RFA under the condition of anonymity. “People are getting [taxed] more and more but have less land, so people need to reclaim the land.”
According to RFA research, Lang village has about 250 households, all indigenous Ede people. The residents all make a living from farming.
‘The company does not give a dime’
Residents told RFA they had been cultivating the land for many generations but after 1975 the local government took it and gave it to the state-owned enterprise, Eapok Coffee Farm to grow coffee trees. The company later changed its name to Ea Pok Coffee Joint Stock Company.
Locals went from being landowners to hired workers on their own land. They say the company allowed them to cultivate the land from 1983 until now but told them to produce 18 tons of coffee per hectare or pay for up to 80% of each harvest.
“People work hard, but they don't have enough to eat because they have to pay the company's output. In many cases, they don't even have enough output to pay so they are in debt and have to pay for it in the next crop," said one resident who was assigned to grow coffee on 8,000 square meters of land.
Residents say that in 2010 the company allowed them to uproot coffee trees and grow other crops, including corn, but did not support them by offering seedlings, fertilizers, or pesticides. The company also continued to impose output quotas or taxed as much as 80% of the crop.
“People have to pay by themselves. The company does not give a dime or give a single pill when people are sick,” said another resident farming 10,000 square meters of land.
Struggling farmers decided to file an application with the government in 2019 to reclaim their land and farming rights.
Locals say this year Ea Pok Coffee asked them to start growing durian trees. When they opposed the plan the company started destroying crops on May 18 to prepare the land for durian cultivation.
When an RFA Vietnamese reporter called Ea Pok Coffee Joint Stock Company to ask for comments they were told the press must register with the company's leaders, and get their approval first.
When asked about the government's attitude towards people's demands, a local resident said: “We sent petitions to the town government and the provincial government but got no response. The first time five households signed, then many more households signed. The government always sides with the company, rather than helping the people.”
RFA contacted Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, chairwoman of the People's Committee of Ea Pok town, to ask about the dispute between Lang villagers and the coffee company. She said that she would not accept telephone interviews.
When asked if people would agree to maintain the current form of contract farming if Ea Pok Coffee Joint Stock Company reduced taxes and increased support, local people said they still committed to reclaiming the land.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Timor Leste
- Initial Date
- May 18, 2022
- Event Description
A parliament minister has brought defamation charges under Timor Leste’s Penal Code against journalist Francisco Belo Simões da Costa, following coverage of an allegation of ministerial corruption. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Timor-Leste Press Union (TLPU), in calling for the immediate withdrawal of the case against the journalist.
Timor Leste’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication, Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, filed a claim against Francisco Belo, the editor-in-chief of local news portal Hatutan.com, over a report regarding allegations of corruption in a ‘set-top-box installation’ project.
Minister Francisco Jeronimo replied to the article, stating the news report about his project was not valid, and his response was republished by Hatutan.com. The minister is responsible for drafting legislation to develop public and private media in Timor Leste.
Following the coverage, Minister Jerónimo brought charges against Francisco Belo, who received a summons from the Dili district prosecutor’s office for defamation under Article 285 of Timor-Leste’s Penal Code.
Francisco Belo gave a statement to the prosecutor’s office on May 23, meeting with officers for approximately thirty minutes. If found guilty under Article 285, the journalist faces up to three years in prison or a fine.
In 2017, two Timor Leste journalists, Oki Raimundos and Lourenco Martins, also faced jail for defamation for their articles about Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo in 2015, but the charges were overturned by the Dili District Court on June 1, 2017.
The TLPU stated that it had verified that Hatutan.com's report about the installation project followed all media laws and the journalistic code of ethics. "We urge Minister Francisco Jeronimo to resolve this case through mediation from the Press Council because journalism is not a crime," TLPU said.
23 MAY 2022 by RAIMUNDOS OKI in JUSTISA Created: 23 May 2022Hits: 1481 Ghost articles return to haunt journalists in Timor-Leste
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DILI (TOP) – Freedom of the press is protected by article 41 of the Timor-Leste’s Constitution, but there is still one ghost article in the Criminal Code (2009), namely article 285 on Defamatory false information.
The ghost article has been used by politicians and law enforcement in Timor-Leste to strike back at their opponents, especially journalists who often write stories about corruption cases in both private and public institutions.
Article 285 is a giant ghost that not only haunts journalists but will also haunt critics in this country one day.
Leaders and politicians in Timor-Leste have been pleased with the annual world press freedom index of 71st out of 180 countries in 2021 and 17th in 2022 ahead of Australia, but the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo has sued the editor-in-chief of the online media www.hatutan.com Francisco Belo Simões da Costa after publishing a corruption case allegedly involving the minister Francisco Jerónimo.
According to information accessed by The Oe-Kusi Post (TOP), installation project Set-top Box Set-top Box/dexodificador RTTL,E.P with a budget of $900,0000.00, allegedly involve Minister Francisco Jerónimo who is also the President of the Federação Futebol de Timor-Leste (F -FTL) entered into a contract with a local company DILI ETERNAL INNOVATION INFORMATION, Lda as a Joint Venture of Melánia da Silva Fernandes Capela was a secretary in the F-FTL cabinet, but according to his right of reply to Hatutan.com that the news reports about this project is not true.
As a result, Minister Francisco Jerónimo finally sued the editor-in-chief of Hatutan.com who is also a member of the Timor-Leste press council to the Dili District Prosecutor Office.
“I have gone to give a statement at the Dili prosecutor's office on a report from the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo regarding Defamatory false information in article 285 of the Timor-Leste's penal code,” Francisco Belo Simões da Costa told
According to a news report from the online media Hatutan.com that their chief editor gave a statement at the Dili prosecutor's office on Monday 23 May 2022 from 9 to 9:30 am Timor-Leste time.
Journalist Francisco Belo received a summons from the Dili prosecutor's office on 18 May 2022 with the case number NUC 0078/22/PCCIC as a suspect.
The online media Hatutan.com explained that their editor-in-chief had been sued by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo for the publication of news about the Set-top Box/dexodificador installation project Rádiu Televizaun Timor Leste, Empreza Públika (RTTL, E.P).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- May 17, 2022
- Event Description
A Kandal factory is continuing to refuse to reinstate workers whom it fired as they were trying to start a union despite instructions from the Labor Ministry, as workers said they now want to take up the issue with the factory’s international clients.
In two separate orders issued May 4 and May 17, the Labor Ministry said the SYHJ Garment factory in Ang Snuol district should take back Prak Tola, Ny Tola and Hul Sokhim, saying their dismissals were illegal under articles 43 and 67 of the Union Law.
Those articles say workers standing to lead a union are protected from dismissal unless there is authorization from a labor inspector.
It is the same argument the NagaWorld casino union has been making to contest the layoffs of its union leaders last year.
A manager at SYHJ, Prum Kosal, said in a message that the factory could not take back the three workers as they had made serious mistakes that violated the company’s internal regulations. He also alleged they had damaged thousands of dollars of company property.
“At the moment, the company has no association with the union. Please tell them that before they complain, they should look at the law — which articles, which paragraph,” Kosal said. “Ask if they know the law. … If the union wants to sue, it’s their right.”
Sokhim, one of the fired workers, said she was head of the packaging department and was due to become the new union’s head.
“They said to sue them,” she said. “They said they don’t care where we complain.”
Independent Trade Union Confederation president Ry Sethynet said he would help the SYHJ workers find the factory’s international buyers and file a complaint to them for intervention to get the three prospective union leaders back to work.
The Labor Ministry orders, issued by the labor disputes department, said factory owners must reaccept the workers who had been laid off and pay them wages from the day they were fired. A department official, when asked about enforcement, previously told VOD that both sides had two months to appeal the decision.
Ministry spokeperson Heng Sour did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers Democratic Union has estimated that roughly 350 union leaders and active members were dismissed under the guise of Covid-19 — around a quarter of about 1,400 cases of alleged union-busting since 2015.
According to maps, the factory is next-door to similarly named SYSG Garment, a Chinese-owned T-shirt producer registered with the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Labour rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to work
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Corporation (others)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- May 12, 2022
- Event Description
The police finally dispersed a group of people calling themselves the United Liberation Movement for West Papua or ULMWP who were going to hold a demonstration in the Pasar Baru area of Kaimana, Thursday (12/5). They were disbanded because they did not have official permission from the police. There was an argument between the mob and the police when it was disbanded. The police eventually arrested a protester, and he was taken to the Kaimana Police Station for trying to provoke another crowd.
The masses finally dispersed in an orderly manner by taking public transportation, although they had been offered a ride from the police, the masses refused. Traders who are currently selling their wares in the area have also chosen to close their stalls. For security reasons because of the concentration of the masses in the new market area of Kaimana.
Kaimana Police Chief AKBP I Ketut Widiarta, SIK MH, when confirmed said the reason for the disbandment was because his party did not issue a permit to the demonstrators, who would convey their aspirations to disband from the Republic of Indonesia. “So we firmly reject and do not give permission for this demonstration,” said the Police Chief when confirmed during the security demonstration in the Pasar Baru Kaimana area, Thursday (12/5).
The police chief appealed to the people of Kaimana to jointly maintain security and order in the city of Kaimana. And not easily provoked by other issues or invitations that will damage Kaimana’s security. “Don’t be provoked, provoked by issues or people who will damage the security situation in Kaimana,” he stressed again.
According to journalists’ observation until Thursday afternoon, activities at Pasar Baru Kaimana were running normally, although before that the traders had closed their stalls for security reasons.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- May 12, 2022
- Event Description
Today, May 12, 2022, members of the Association for Prosperous Earth Warriors (PPPBS) in Malin Deman Sub-district are carrying out their usual activities, harvesting palm fruit on the land they cultivate. The land they are working on is land that is currently still in the process of resolving the conflict with the company PT Daria Dharma Pratama (DDP). Based on the information we collected from local villagers, PPPBS members carried out harvesting activities simultaneously at around 10.00 WIB. But at the same time the company is also carrying out the same activity around members' arable lands. After about 2 hours of harvesting, the police officers (BRIMOB), totaling approximately 40 people, surrounded PPPBS members on the land of a member named Zarkawi (a resident of Talang Arah village). It is suspected that BRIMOB members took repressive actions against PPPBS members and the surrounding community land (who are not even members) by making arrests and beatings. So far, only 1 person has been confirmed with a laceration to the head as a result of being attacked by the police. The victim of this criminalization is Hardoni, a resident of Talang Arah village, Malin Deman sub-district. Meanwhile, around 40 PPPBS members were stripped half their bodies, their hands were tied using plastic ropes and their cellphones were confiscated. These 40 people were then taken to the South Mukomuko Police Station at around 4 pm.
From the information we received until 20.00 WIB, several PPPBS members had gone through the BAP process without an assistant or legal representative.
According to information from the local community, the police (BRIMOB) have been guarding the company's concession area for a long time, since early January. And during that time there has never been any coordination carried out by the police to the local village government to provide notifications regarding the agenda of the police to carry out operations around the village and sub-district areas. So far there has also been no response from the local government to protect those detained.
Based on information obtained from the PPPBS attorney, namely the Akar Law Office, who arrived at the South Mukomuko Police on Friday, May 13, 2022 at 02.00 WIB, the attorney was prevented from assisting the examination process carried out by PPPBS members. And at that time, the BAP process for 3 PPPBS members was still ongoing. However, after the examination process and BAP are completed, 1 ALO Advocate can only meet with the Secretary General of PPPBS; Lobian Angrianto's brother was escorted by 5 police officers in the detention room.
According to information from Lobian and the Head of Criminal Investigation at the South Mukomuko Police, 40 people and members of the community were detained. Currently (May 13, 2022, at 02:26) the 40 people who were arrested are still witnesses. The Head of Criminal Investigation Unit stated that the detention of 40 PPPBS members was carried out because of OTT with alleged Article 362 of the Criminal Code; Theft.
PPPBS is an acronym for the Association of Pejuang Pejuang Bumi Sejahtera which is an association of smallholders in Malin Deman District, Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu. This PPPBS is a legal entity NUMBER AHU-0013151.AH.01.07.TAHUN 2021. The number of farmer members who are members of this PPPBS is 187 people from 7 villages; Talang Direction, Red Water, New Talang, Lubuk Talang, New Serami, Semambang Makmur and New Serami. This association was created based on a common interest to regain their rights and sovereignty over their land. And currently PPPBS is in the stage of proposing the TORA Redistribution program for PT Bina Bumi Sejahtera's abandoned HGU land which is physically controlled by PT Dharia Darma Pratama (DDP) covering an area of 603.50 Ha.
- Impact of Event
- 40
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to work
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- May 11, 2022
- Event Description
On 11 and 12 May 2022, Hoa Binh province police repeatedly called Mr Trinh Ba Khiem - Mrs Theu's husband - to come to their office 'to work'. This was the third time 64-year-old Mr Khiem was summoned to the police office regarding the statuses, video clips... he posted on his Facebook since the arrest of his wife Mrs Can Thi Theu and his two sons Trinh Ba Phuong and Trinh Ba Tu. Mr Khiem told RFA Viet: 'In the second working session I had with Hoa Binh province police, they questioned me, why did I say on social media that the communist regime killed people; I told them, that was correct, [the communist regime] killed [land petitioner] Mr Le Dinh Kinh [in an ambush on Dong Tam village in Jan 2020]...
'The police also told me, I am not allowed to publish on social media unverified articles, they asked me to stop live streaming on social media.'
Mr Khiem said he refused to comply with the police's demand, and asserted that he would continue to speak out on social media and to fight for justice for his family members.
'They demanded me to stop [all those activities], otherwise I will be jailed with a heavy sentence.'
On 11 May, before going to the police office, Mr Khiem told RFA Viet: 'I am never afraid of the communist louts. In my struggle [for my rights] , it is the communist regime that commits criminal offences, the communists must defend themselves before me, I never have to defend myself before them.'
Coming home after his working session with the police, he said:
'[The police] persuaded me not to live stream bad mouthing the regime, otherwise they will put me in jail. The communist regime's police really want to arrest me, that is my assessment.'
In the working session on 12 May, Mr Khiem informed that the police changed tack. Instead of banning him from speaking out on social media. they persuaded him not to use the word 'communist' in his speech.
'That was their demand, they didn't like that word; in the view of this communist regime, the Communist Party is always correct, only individuals make mistakes, if you call them all 'communists', they don't like it at all, they said, you bad mouth the regime and the state by saying that.'
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist, Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
News summarised from Vietnamese article: VoA Vietnam
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- May 11, 2022
- Event Description
NagaWorld labor negotiations remained at a stalemate as fired union workers continued to attempt to protest outside the casino complex.
Workers have continued their protests in Phnom Penh and have been met with severe police action, including protesters getting kicked while being shoved onto buses outside the NagaWorld 2 casino on Wednesday. Around 130 workers were again confronted by police, terminated worker Mam Sovathin said.
Kong Sokhom, another protesting worker who still works at the casino, said she was initially shocked when a police official pinched her hard and had to be pulled away by his colleagues.
“I laughed after that. He pinched me and then pushed me on the bus. And some authorities had to pull him out,” she said.
Sokhom said protestors were returning to the casino almost every day, only taking short breaks to rest. The authorities continued to take them on buses near Phnom Penh Safari park and then dropping them off at the new Freedom Park in Russei Keo district.
At the same time, five union representatives met with NagaWorld and the Labor Ministry on Wednesday, the eighth negotiation meeting to end without a resolution.
Union president Chhim Sithar, who was recently re-elected to head the union, was not optimistic heading into the meeting, saying there was no compromise in sight. Her outlook had not changed after the meeting ended Wednesday evening.
“It is like before. The company still rejects all of our requests. There was no result,” she said.
The union has asked NagaWorld to find jobs for 200-odd terminated workers, a demand workers say the casino has refused during the negotiations.
The union also delivered the results of its 10-day leadership election to the Labor Ministry on Monday. The ministry will now have to re-register the union, and Heng Sour, a ministry spokesperson, did not respond to requests for comment.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- May 11, 2022
- Event Description
Twenty-five members of a youth group who are marking World Environment Day with a 600-kilometer cycling campaign, say that although local authorities allowed the event to go ahead they were questioned and monitored, which some took as a form of intimidation.
The campaign, which started on May 10 and ends on Friday, saw the cyclists ride all the way from Kampong Thom to Preah Vihear province. In each commune along the way, through four provinces, the participants say they were stopped by authorities who questioned them about their activities and camped out with them overnight.
Authorities say their interest was only intended to keep the cyclists safe on their journey, but one of the campaigners, Out Latin, a project coordinator with the advocacy group Cambodian Youth Network, said their interest meant the activists hadn’t been able to speak freely.
“I think it is a challenge that the authorities always come to interrogate and sleep with us under the pretext of security. What the authorities are doing is hurting our ability to debate on social issues and make our next plan.”
However, he noted that in the past, authorities have been more interfering, even stopping village meetings. This time they were allowed to go ahead, he believes, because they don’t want trouble ahead of the commune elections next month.
After the youths arrived in Preah Vihear, city authorities led by Deputy Governor Khiev Ban and accompanied by about 10 plainclothes police officers came to inquire about their activities, took down their names, and took photos. In Promer commune, Tbeng Meanchey district, police did the same.
Latin said they asked where the group had got its funding for the campaign, which mainly came from civil society organizations abroad. The campaign was meant to promote forest conservation, he said, and teach communities to protect natural resources.
“Through this campaign, we are demanding that the government, especially the Ministry of Environment, allow local communities to participate in protecting the last remaining natural resources, such as in Prey Lang and Prey Preah Roka,” he said.
San Mala, another member of the Cambodian Youth Network who took part in the event, said he didn’t think the real reason the authorities monitored the cyclists activity was in order to guarantee their safety. Instead, he said he thought it was a way of monitoring them.
“The authorities there have said that their actions are only for the safety and security of the youth,” he told CamboJA. “Especially at our rest stops, the authorities always sent police and village security to guard the youth group.”
However, he noted that in the past it’s been very difficult for youth to pass through protected forest areas, but this time it was easy. He thinks the authorities facilitated this because the government doesn’t want trouble ahead of elections, and also because the ASEAN Summit was being held in the US at the same time and they didn’t want negative press.
Mala said he hoped the campaign would encourage the Ministry of Environment to allow citizens to participate in forest protection, because in Prey Lang in the past well-known environmental activists have been arrested for organizing patrols against illegal logging.
“In the last two years, authorities, especially officials from the Ministry of Environment, have been restricting communities and civil society organizations from working in forest areas… The absence of environmental activists monitoring or patrolling has resulted in a major surge in deforestation,” he said.
“There may be collusion between local authorities and traders,” he added.
Koet Saray, president of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association (KSILA), said some authorities seemed pleased to see youth and civil society campaigning for environmental protection, and that they were mainly allowed to conduct their campaign unhindered. However he said, despite the group having widely publicized the event in the press, the authorities hadn’t been aware of it or what was about.
During their 600 km cycle, the group saw several deforested sites in Prey Lang forest in Kratie and Kampong Thom, according to Out Latin, each ranging between 5 and 50 hectares.
Sar Seng Leang, deputy chief of Achen village, Kampong Cham commune, Sambor district, Kratie province, said that as a village authority, it was his duty to welcome and protect the cyclists passing through and that he welcomed the environmental advocacy campaign..
Khiev Ban, Deputy Governor of Preah Vihear City, agreed that the cycling campaign was a good way of making people aware of environmental issues. He told CamboJA that the authorities only questioned the participants so they knew which direction they were going and could protect them.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- May 10, 2022
- Event Description
Joseph (pseudonym) was arrested around 10.00 today (10 May) while leaving his house to join the activists submitting a petition to the US Embassy calling for the release of detained activists and the repeal of the royal defamation law. The police officers who arrested him presented an arrest warrant on a royal defamation charge resulting from a speech he gave at the protest at the King Taksin the Great Monument at Wongwian Yai on Chakri Memorial Day (6 April).
During his speech, Joseph talked about the history of how the ruling class in Southeast Asia come to power, especially in the ancient kingdoms located in the area currently known as Thailand, and how the Chakri dynasty came to rule Siam.
Activist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk from the activist network Citizens for the Abolition of 112 said that Joseph was a member of the network and that he came up with the idea that the network should petition embassies to demand the release of political prisoners.
Somyot said that Joseph’s speech was about the history of Chakri Memorial Day, noting that previous court rulings stated that speaking about history does not constitute an offense under the royal defamation law, leading him to speculate that Joseph was arrested to prevent yesterday’s protest at the US Embassy.
“We’ll keep going, and we will let the world know about this, especially the US, which is a country from which we will campaign the use of social sanctions against the judges, the police, or anyone related to the justice system,” Somyot said.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that after his arrest, Joseph was taken to the Police Club on Vibhavadi Road, even though the charge against him is under the jurisdiction of Buppharam Police Station in Thonburi. He was then taken to the Thonburi Criminal Court for a temporary detention request and was later granted bail on a 200,000-baht security.
The Court also set the conditions that he must not participate in activities which damage the monarchy or cause public disorder, and must not leave the country.
Joseph was previously charged with royal defamation and sedition for reading out a statement during the 26 October 2020 protest in front of the German Embassy.
Another activist has been arrested and charged with royal defamation for a speech given at the Chakri Memorial Day protest on 6 April 2022.
Mint (pseudonym) was arrested on Tuesday evening (10 May). She said that she and other activists were eating at a restaurant on Chaeng Wattana after the protest at the US Embassy when around 10 police officers came to present an arrest warrant, leading her to speculate that the officers had been following her since the event at the Embassy.
She was taken to the Police Club on Vibhavadi Road, where she was detained overnight before being taken to court for a temporary detention request. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Mint was charged with royal defamation, violation of the Computer Crimes Act, and using a sound amplifier without permission.
TLHR also reported that, according to the inquiry officer from Buppharam Police Station, three people are being charged for speeches given during the Chakri Memorial Day protest: Mint, student activist Sopon Surariddhidhamrong, and Joseph (pseudonym).
Joseph was arrested on Tuesday morning (10 May) and charged with royal defamation. He was later granted bail on a 200,000-baht security and was given the same conditions later given to Mint. TLHR said that his speech did not mention the current king, and that, in his testimony, Joseph said that several writers and academics have discussed the execution of King Taksin, such as Sulak Sivaraksa, Nidhi Eoseewong, and Sujit Wongthes. He also mentioned a previous court ruling that the royal defamation law does not cover former kings.
Sopon is currently held in pre-trial detention on another royal defamation charge resulting from a speech he gave at a protest on 22 April 2022. He was arrested on 1 May and subsequently denied bail. TLHR said that the police will visit Sopon in prison next week to notify him of the charges.
The inquiry officer said that Mint was charged for her speech, in which she said that King Taksin was not beaten to death with a sandalwood club or allowed to enter monkhood as history books have it, but was beheaded on order from King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, who ascended the throne as the first monarch in the Chakri dynasty after he seized power in 1782. She also spoke about the creation of the Equestrian Statue of King Chulalongkorn.
On Wednesday (11 May), Mint was granted bail by the Thonburi Provincial Court on a 200,00-baht security. The Court gave her the conditions that she must not participate in activities which are damaging to the monarchy or cause public disorder, and prohibited her from leaving the country.
Mint, Joseph, and Sopon are among 194 people currently facing royal defamation charges for participating in pro-democracy protests in 209 cases. Of this number, 43 cases are related to speeches given at protests.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- May 10, 2022
- Event Description
Myanmar authorities should immediately and unconditionally release journalist Maung Maung Myo and stop jailing members of the press for reporting the news, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
Around 6 p.m. on May 10, Maung Myo, a contributor to the local Mekong News Agency, was traveling by train to report on recent armed clashes between the military and anti-junta people’s defense forces when military authorities arrested him, according to news reports and the news agency’s editor Nyan Linn Htet, who communicated with CPJ via messaging app.
The reporter, who is also known as Myo Myint Oo, was arrested at the Salween River bridge checkpoint near the town of Hpa-an in eastern Kayin state after officials discovered he had shared Mekong News Agency reports on his personal Facebook page, according to Nyan Linn Htet, who told CPJ that the news publication had been banned by the military junta regime that seized power in the February 1, 2021 coup.
Maung Myo has since been charged under section 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law, which carries a maximum of seven years in prison, according to Nyan Linn Htet. Since his arrest, the journalist has been held at Hpa-an Prison.
“Myanmar authorities must free journalist Maung Maung Myo and drop any charges pending against him,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Myanmar’s junta must cease leveling outrageous terrorism-related charges against journalists who are merely doing their jobs as reporters.”
Maung Myo has reported for Mekong News Agency since June 2020 and has covered various political topics, including Myanmar’s COVID-19 situation, anti-coup protests, and clashes between the military government and different armed resistance groups.
Nyan Linn Htet told CPJ that military authorities raided Mekong News Agency’s office and his residence on two occasions after the 2021 coup, and the publication had to close its bureau in the Shan state town of Tachiliek on April 15, 2021, due to threats from security forces.
Nyan Linn Htet added that he is in hiding from an arrest warrant issued against him on March 6, 2021, under section 505(a) of the penal code, a vague anti-state provision that penalizes incitement and the dissemination of “false news.”
Myanmar’s Ministry of Information did not reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment on Maung Myo’s arrest and detention.
CPJ’s latest prison census published in December ranked Myanmar as the world’s second-worst jailer of journalists. Myanmar authorities have killed at least three journalists since the military seized power on February 1, 2021, according to CPJ documentation.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- May 10, 2022
- Event Description
LBH Papua Director Emanuel Gobay said one participant of the demonstration against the New Autonomous Region (DOB) Papua in Jayapura was critical after being hit by a rubber bullet allegedly released by the police.
Previously, the police forcefully dispersed demonstrations against DOB in a number of areas in Papua, Tuesday (10/5).
"Yes (critically) the action in Waena," said Director of LBH Papua Emanuel Gobay when contacted.
Gobay admitted that he did not know the exact chronology of the incident. He only confirmed that the victim was taking part in an action in front of Mega Waena, Jayapura.
"So when they arrived in front of Mega Waena, they were forcibly dispersed. At that time, they used rubber bullets and so on. When they released the rubber bullets, they hit one of the protesters," he said.
According to Gobay, at that time the victim was immediately taken to Mimika Dormitory to be treated by female students. However, he did not know more about the victim's condition.
He added that apart from rubber bullet victims, one protest participant also suffered injuries due to being mistreated by the police. The victim, he said, was shot in the chest by the police.
"Besides that, someone was beaten, then he was unconscious, then carried, then taken to the dormitory. I met him earlier, he complained that his chest still hurts from being kicked. There are also several others who were injured," explained Gobay. .
Demonstrations against the new autonomous regions and Special Autonomy (Otsus) in several areas of Jayapura, Papua, were disbanded by the police today.
The forced dissolution was recorded in a video that was spread on Twitter social media. The video was uploaded by the spokesman for the Papuan People's Petition, Jeffry Wenda.
At that time, the police forcefully dispersed the peaceful protest using water cannons.
At least seven people were arrested by the police in the action. Those arrested included PRP spokesman Jeffry Wenda, National Spokesman for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) Ones Suhuniap, and Omizon Balingga.
- Impact of Event
- 9
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- May 9, 2022
- Event Description
he Hanoi police have resumed investigation against blogger Le Anh Hung, taking him back to their temporary detention center from the city-based mental hospital.
According to the decision of the capital city’s Police Department on May 9, the compulsory mental treatment was stopped by the city’s People’s Procuracy on the same day and he was transferred back to jail on May 10 for further investigation on the allegation of “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is expected to end soon and the first-instance hearing will be carried out in coming months, according to his lawyer Nguyen Van Mieng.
Mr. Le Anh Hung, a political blogger of Voice of America, was arrested on July 5, 2018 for his postings on Facebook on which he accused many senior communist leaders of criminal activities and working for China against the country’s interests. Ten months later, on May 4, 2019, he was sent to a mental hospital for compulsory treatment.
He was reported not to agree with the treatment, denying to take medicines provided by the mental facility. However, he was beaten and forced to take medicines after being tied to his bed, according to his family.
Le Anh Hung was moved from the National Psychiatric Ward in Hanoi, where he was admitted in April 2019, and returned to prison last week so that the criminal prosecution against him could resume. A member of the Independent Journalist Association of Vietnam, Hung was arrested in July 2018 and charged with “abusing democratic freedoms.” However, he has yet to be tried. During his unusually long pre-trial detention period, now entering its fourth year, Hung has often complained of physical and psychological abuse and has had to go on several hunger strikes to protest the abuse.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- May 9, 2022
- Event Description
The office of the Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH) became the target of a terrorist attack on Monday (9/5) morning. The action is suspected to be related to a case that the agency is currently working on.
One unit of a motorcycle caught fire and the back of a car parked side by side was also scorched in the terrorist act. The director of LBH Papua, Emanuel Gobay, believes that there were parties who did this on purpose.
“From the evidence we found, such as the presence of a wick, the wick smelled of kerosene mixed with gasoline, coupled with evidence of plastic filled with gasoline, then added with grass that looked charred after being exposed to gasoline, our suspicions were made by people who have bad intentions with us,” Gobay told VOA Monday morning.
Testimony Regarding the Suspected Perpetrator So far, the facts gathered by LBH Papua regarding the incident stated that the arson took place at around 04.00 WIT. LBH Papua staff who live in the office dormitory noticed the fire after hearing the sound of an explosion coming from the garage area. The staff then came out and found the flames that burned the motorbike.
The staff and the community living around the agency’s office located on Jalan Gerilyawan, Kamkey, Jayapura, immediately put out the fire.
“The LBH Papua staff and local residents worked together to collect water and immediately extinguished the fire that was burning on the motorbike, then pulled the burning motorbike out of the garage of the LBH Papua office, so the fire didn’t spread everywhere,” added Gobay.
The motorcycle owner explained that he parked the vehicle around midnight, or four hours before the incident. In the initial inspection, the motorcycle tank did not explode in this fire.
LBH Papua staff also received information from two residents who passed in front of the office shortly before the incident. The resident stated that he saw one person wearing a black sweater, hat and mask running out of the LBH Papua office environment, then going on a motorbike.
“We have no other problems. The problems we face are from the cases we are accompanying. So, of course it has something to do with the cases we are attending. Maybe the people we suspect of doing this are people whose interests might be disturbed by our advocacy,” added Gobay.
On Monday afternoon, Gobay was at the Papua Regional Police to report the terror incident.
Similar terrors have occurred at LBH offices in other cities in Indonesia. LBH Medan, for example, was targeted by Molotov cocktails in October 2019. Meanwhile, the Yogyakarta LBH office was targeted by Molotov cocktails in September 2021.
Common in Papua Yohanis Mambrasar from the Papuan Human Rights Lawyers Association (PAHAM) said that from the chronology described by LBH Papua, he believed this incident was a terror against LBH Papua staff.
“This is an action taken by a person or group who feels disturbed by the work of LBH Papua in fighting for truth and justice in Papua,” said Yohanis.
PAHAM Papua noted that, at least in the last 4 years, LBH Papua was very massive in advocating for a number of cases. The cases handled include the criminalization of Papuan political activists, freedom of expression, as well as assistance to indigenous peoples in cases of theft of timber or confiscation of customary lands.
“Including assistance to palm oil workers and PT Freeport workers, and it should not be forgotten, legal assistance to cases of treason in Papua,” he added.
Human Rights (HAM) activist Theo Hesegem also considered what happened at LBH Papua as an act of terror.
“We can’t confirm who the perpetrators are, but we know that a terrorist act is taking place. Actually, if human rights defenders experience acts of terror, it does not mean that people who work for humanity end up there. It’s impossible,” he said.
Interestingly, Theo himself had recently become a victim of what he described as terror against critical activists. On 7 May, Theo, Executive Director of the Papuan Justice and Human Integrity Foundation, lost his motorcycle, which was his operational vehicle, while investigating cases of human rights violations in Wamena, Nduga, and the surrounding mountainous areas.
Theo himself has experienced many terrors during his activities in defending human rights in Papua. For example, when he was actively investigating cases of armed violence in Nduga. But he promised that any incident would not hinder his efforts to carry out humanitarian work.
“And that is something human rights defenders have to face. We must not forget that for me this is a normal thing, and it must be experienced by human rights defenders,” he said again.
Moreover, added Theo, in Papua acts of terror are a daily occurrence.
“It’s a normal thing that human rights defenders have to deal with in the poor conditions of this region. But we also want it not to happen again, and it is the duty of the police to follow up on this terror. We don’t want human rights defenders in Papua to be treated like that,” said Theo.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property, Right to work
- HRD
- NGO, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- May 5, 2022
- Event Description
Tran Hoang Huan was sentenced to eight years in prison plus three years of home surveillance for postings on Facebook that allegedly violated Article 117 of the Criminal Code. Huan, 34, was accused of making 186 posts and 60 statuses that “distort and defame the people’s government,” and 21 articles that “are lies which created confusion among the citizens.” The trial, which was televised, did not appear to show any lawyer representing Huan.
On May 5, the People’s Court of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang convicted a local citizen named Tran Hoang Huan of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code for his online posting. During a short trial which lasted a few hours, the court sentenced him to eight years in prison and three years of probation. Huan, who was arrested on April 8 last year, was accused of disseminating 186 articles on Facebook from early September 2020 to early April 2021 with the content criticizing the regime and defaming its leadership.
Before being arrested, in 2020, he was fined VND12.5 million ($560) for posting articles on Facebook unwanted by the regime. He was also summoned to a police station many times where he was forced to pledge not to post critical statuses, according to the state-controlled media.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- May 3, 2022
- Event Description
The South Bangkok Criminal Court on Tuesday (3 May) ordered bail for monarchy reform activists Baipor and Netiporn to be revoked, saying that they violated their bail conditions by causing public disorder.
Baipor and Netiporn are members of the monarchy reform group Thaluwang and were charged with royal defamation for conducting a public poll on whether people think royal motorcades cause problems on 8 February 2022 at Siam Paragon shopping mall.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the Court revoked their bail because they participated in another poll on land expropriation on 13 March 2022 at the Victory Monument, which the Court said caused public disorder. The Court claimed that because the group posted on the Thaluwang Facebook page an invitation to people to join the “protest,” a large number of people would join the event and cause public disorder, and that a clash took place between Thaluwang supporters and members of a royalist group gathering nearby.
In the 13 March 2022 event, the activists walked on the skywalk around the Victory Monument and conducted a poll asking “Would you give up your house to the royal family?” Meanwhile, the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy gathered next to the monument to sing the national anthem and King’s anthem.
A small group of Thaluwang supporters argued with the royalist protesters gathered there, but no major altercation took place as activist Sam Samat and other Thaluwang supporters defused the situation.
Baipor said before going to the hearing that Thaluwang’s polls are open for everyone to participate, and that conducting polls is about raising questions about social issues, not just those relating to the monarchy. She said that it is a good thing that other groups are also conducting public polls, and that, if she is detained, she would like more people to raise questions about various issues in the country.
The order revoking their bail was signed by Judges Santi Chukitsappaisan and Puttawat Rintarasri.
Baipor and Netiporn are currently detained at the Women’s Central Correctional Institution. They are among 11 people currently detained on charges relating to political expression. Of this number, 5 are detained on royal defamation charges while their cases are still at the inquiry level: Baipor, Netiporn, Tantawan Tuatulanon, Sopon Surariddhidhamrong, and Weha Saenchonchanasuek. Activist shaves head to demand right to bail
After Baipor and Netiporn were taken to the Women’s Central Correctional Institution, 17-year-old activist Benjamaporn or “Ploy”, also a Thaluwang member, shaved her head to protest the activists’ bail revocation and demand the right to bail for detained activist.
Benjamaporn wore a school uniform and taped a piece of paper to her chest saying “This young person behaved in violation of the law by raising questions about the monarchy, causing dishonour to, defaming, and threatening one of the country’s main institutions. Please condemn this young person.”
The sign is a reference to Benjamaporn’s first demonstration, in which she protested outdated haircut and uniform regulations in Thai schools by sitting under a staircase at the Siam BTS station in a school uniform with a sign saying “This student violated school rules by leaving her hair longer than her ears and having fringes, destroying Thai students’ characteristics. Please punish this student,” and inviting people to cut her hair.
After shaving her head, Benjamaporn flashed the three-finger ‘Hunger Games’ salute. She picked up a piece of her hair and said that the braids she was wearing before the demonstration were done for her by Netiporn before they went to court that morning.
Benjamaporn said that the loss of her hair cannot be compared to the loss of lives from the economic recession, the lives of young people lost to the education system, the juvenile detention centres, or the life of 15-year-old Warit Somnoi, who was shot during a protest at the Din Daeng Intersection and died after several months in a coma.
She asked people to remember those who are unjustly imprisoned and those who died and not let them be forgotten by political history. She also asked that adults listen to young people and stand with them to call for justice, freedom, and equality.
“Young people have tried their best to speak out, but there are many adults who are still choosing not to listen to their voice. Actually, it is an adult’s responsibility to listen to the voice of young people and come out to stand alongside them, not just discard youth, not just discard children so that they have to run away from home and be without a place to live, without even a dream and having to struggle by themselves. In the end, the destination of people who come out to fight and ask questions is prison and death. Such things happen, and such things should not happen,” she said.
Benjamaporn said she is tired and feels discouraged, but she is not giving up. She asked people to continue following Thaluwang’s activities and support young people.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Thailand: three pro-democracy WHRDs arrested
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- May 3, 2022
- Event Description
Alipio “Ador” Juat is no stranger to political repression.
A longtime unionist and community organizer for the labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Juat was one of the scores of activists who survived arrest and torture during the martial law regime of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s late father.
Since that period, labor and peasant organizers and political activists were considered destabilizers, KMU secretary general Jerome Adonis told reporters on Wednesday.
“But it is not a crime nor will it ever be a crime to organize communities,” Adonis said.
On May 3 — just days before the presidential elections that was won by the dictator’s son and namesake — history repeated itself for Juat. He and fellow community organizer Elizabeth Magbanua were abducted by armed men who said they were from the Philippine Navy, according to Adonis.
He said the martial law survivor “has now been victimized twice over by a Marcos.”
Juat and Magbanua and two peasant organizers, Elgene Mungcal and Elena Cortez, had gone missing in a string of disappearances in Central Luzon.
Their families have called on the Marcos administration to help find their loved ones and stop the wanton arrests and enforced disappearances of dissidents. Asking AFP
On Wednesday, they filed a formal complaint before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and asked the state rights watchdog to help them investigate the cases.
The CHR said it would send a representative to Camp Aguinaldo, the Armed Forces headquarters in Quezon City, as soon as possible.
Juat supposedly was able to send word to his family that he was taken there by the men who had seized him.
The families of the missing are demanding that the authorities allow them to return home “without condition and immediately.”
They also want the new administration to junk Executive Order No. 70, which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) that was created by Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Last call to family
The anti-communist task force has become notorious for Red-tagging critics of the government, many of whom were later persecuted, prosecuted or killed.
Representatives of the women’s group, Gabriela, and KMU accompanied the relatives of Juat and the three others to the CHR.
Magbanua, a longtime member of KMU, has been missing since May 3. Gabriela members Mungcal and Cortez disappeared on July 3.
Juat was able to make a call to his family recently, telling them he was being held in Camp Aguinaldo
Adonis believes that no one else “would have an interest in our four colleagues except the government and the military who wish to silence those who fight for true justice.”
Apparently, Magbanua and Juat were together in Valenzuela City on May 3 to attend a meeting related to their community organizing work, according to Ruth Maglalan, Magbanua’s partner.
In his brief phone call, Juat told his family that the police were waiting for him and Magbanua at the gate of the subdivision where they were to hold their meeting. After they were seized, they were whisked away in separate vehicles.
Juat demanded to know where Magbanua was taken but the men just told him not to fret about his colleague, his relatives said.
Juat said he was brought to Camp Aguinaldo without being told what charges he was being detained for. He has not been heard from since making that call. ‘No right to take her’
Maglalan tearfully told reporters that Magbanua had been a community organizer for the past three decades and “has done nothing but help people realize their rights.”
“There is no just reason for them to take her away from us, from me, from everyone who loves her,” she said. “They have no right to take her away from the masses that she has served her entire life.”
She challenged President Marcos to “prove that he is not like his father” in the way that the ousted dictator let human rights abuses “run rampant” under his martial law regime, and to show that he was different, he should order the military to surface Magbanua and all other victims of enforced disappearances.
Cortez’s daughter, Azaze Galang, was distraught over the disappearance of her mother years after her father, also a peasant organizer, went missing.
She asked the military “to open the camps and let us look for our loved ones freely.” Worst fears
The last time she saw her mother was when she was heading to a meeting with Mungcal in Moncada town, Tarlac province. A closed circuit television footage at Moncada’s Winfare Supermarket was the last image of her mother that she saw on July 3.
Cortez has not returned home since then.
There were no members of Mungcal’s family that met with the reporters and the CHR staff on Wednesday.
Galang fears that both her parents are victims of enforced disappearances, never to be heard from again.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- May 1, 2022
- Event Description
Student activist Sopon Surariddhidhamrong was arrested on Sunday night (1 May) on a royal defamation charge resulting from a speech he gave at a protest on 22 April 2022 and subsequently denied bail.
Sopon, a 23-year-old radiological technology student, was arrested while he was leaving the Labour Day event in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). Witnesses said that, at around 21.20, Sopon got into a taxi to leave the event. A police truck then blocked off the taxi, after which officers came to read him an arrest warrant on a royal defamation charge. The officers also asked him to get out of the taxi and into the truck, or an officer would ride in the taxi with him to Samran Rat Police Station.
Nearby participants in the Labour Day event then came to negotiate with the officers. They also formed a cordon around the taxi to prevent the officers from taking Sopon until a lawyer arrived. At around 22.05, Sopon and a group of protesters got into the police truck for Samran Rat Police Station.
The police blocked the entrance to the police station with metal fences, while a crowd of supporters gathered outside. At around 23.30, the police said they were taking Sopon to the Police Club on Vibhavadi Road. Sopon insisted that the police interrogate him at Samran Rat Police Station and not at the Police Club because the protest which led to the complaint against him did not take place in the Police Club’s jurisdiction and the announcement making the Police Club a restricted area has already been repealed.
However, at 2.00 on Monday (2 May), the police took Sopon to the Police Club. They also did not allow his lawyer to travel with him, forcing the lawyer to travel separately and wait in front of the Police Club before being allowed to meet him.
The officers initially did not say what the charges resulted from and would not let anyone take pictures of the warrant. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported later that Sopon was charged with royal defamation and using a sound amplifier without permission for a speech he gave during a protest march in the Ratchadamnoen area on 22 April 2022. Anon Klinkaew, a member of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy who filed the complaint against Sopon, said the speech defamed Queen Suthida.
Sopon was detained at the Police Club overnight. On Monday morning (2 May), the police took him to court via teleconference for a 12-day temporary detention request. The inquiry officer opposed bail on the grounds that the charges carry a high penalty and because, since Sopon is a monarchy reform activist on police watchlist, many royal ceremonies will be taking place in May.
TLHR said that the Court denied him bail because he was previously granted bail on a contempt of court charge resulting from a protest on 2 May 2021 at the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court following bail rejections for several activists detained pending trial at the time on royal defamation charges. The Court therefore believes that if Sopon is released, he is likely to run or repeat his offense, and so denied him bail. The name of the judge who denied bail was redacted by court officials. Sopon is now detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison.
TLHR noted that the police only took 6 days after the complaint against Sopon was filed to issue an arrest warrant without first issuing a summons, and that this is Sopon’s first royal defamation charge.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Apr 28, 2022
- Event Description
Three activists from the monarchy reform group Thaluwang were arrested yesterday (28 April) on a royal defamation charge after police officers raided their apartment.
Activist Supitcha Chailom went live on her personal Facebook profile saying that she was with Netiporn Sanesangkhom and “Baipor” or Nutthanit (last name withheld), and that police officers were outside their apartment door with an arrest warrant for them. She said they would not open the door until they felt safe and barricaded the door.
The activists stayed inside the locked room until a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) arrived at around 16.40. They also stayed live on Facebook and only opened the door once they got confirmation that the police would not search their apartment.
During the live stream, Supitcha said that an employee of the apartment building was arranging for a locksmith to come take the digital lock out of the door. Netiporn said that their apartment building is likely to be collaborating with government agencies, since the police previously parked their cars on the apartment premises. She also speculated that there are police officers on the apartment committee and that this is why they facilitated the police operation.
She later said that plainclothes police have been stationed under her apartment building since the morning, and that the officers who came up to her room did not state their names or what warrant they have, only saying that they wanted to search the room because there is an arrest warrant.
The activists were taken to Bang Sue Police Station. However, once they arrived, the vehicle containing Supitcha and Nutthanit turned out of the police station towards Soi Inthamara 4. The activists then insisted on going back to the police station, where their lawyer was waiting. The car stopped in front of a condominium building for a few minutes before taking them back to the police station.
TLHR said that there is an arrest warrant out for the three activists on a royal defamation charge issued by officers from Bang Sue Police Station. At the police station, they were later told that the charge resulted from an event on 18 April around the Chatuchak MRT station, during which Thaluwang conducted a poll on whether people agree with the government allowing the King to use his powers as he pleases.
TLHR also said that Technology Crime Suppression Division officers came to the police station asking to check the activists' phones. However, since they could not present a warrant, the activists refused to comply. Meanwhile a crowd was gathering outside to show support for the activists.
Supitcha, Netiporn, and Nutthanit were detained overnight at Bang Sue Police Station. They were taken to court for a temporary detention request via teleconference this morning (29 April) and were later granted bail using a 90,000-baht security each.
The Court prohibited them from participating in activities which damage the monarchy or cause public disorder and gave them a curfew of 16.00 – 6.00. They must also wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and report to the court every 30 days.
Supitcha and Nutthanit, along with activist Benjamaporn Nivas, were arrested last Friday (22 April) while on their way to Cha-am on charges of royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act.
As Thaluwang members, Supitcha, Benjamaporn, and Nutthanit have conducted public polls on questions relating to the monarchy, such as whether people are affected by royal motorcades, whether they would like their tax money to be used to maintain the monarchy, and whether they agree with the government allowing the King to use his powers as he pleases.
Nutthanit and Netiporn were previously charged with royal defamation, sedition, and refusing to comply with an officer’s order for conducting a poll on royal motorcades at Siam Paragon shopping mall on 8 February 2022. Yesterday was the third time they have been charged with royal defamation.
On 28 December 2021, Nutthanit was also among three activists arrested for holding up banners with the message “Abolish Section 112” at Wongwian Yai, where a crowd of people were waiting to see King Vajiralongkorn and his entourage. At that time officers pushed them around and tried to silence them by placing their hands over their mouth, causing minor injuries. They were charged with causing a public commotion and failing to comply with police orders and received a 1000-baht fine.
Supitcha has been previously charged with royal defamation for a speech given at a protest in Songkhla on 30 November 2020. Yesterday was also her third royal defamation charge.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Thailand: three pro-democracy WHRDs arrested
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Apr 26, 2022
- Event Description
Indigenous community representatives who say they filed a complaint against a company for encroaching on community forests have been summoned to court over defamation and incitement.
The court summons names the complainant as Kak Ratana from the company Villa Development, and orders Kroeung Tola, Phlek Phirum, Phlek Navy and Khveng Tum to appear at the Mondulkiri Provincial Court on April 26 for questioning over defamation and incitement.
Phirum said on Friday that she had not heard from the courts or received the summons, but knew the company since she had filed her own complaint against it in recent weeks.
“We are protecting our land. They are planning to clear 100 hectares,” Phirum said. “We make a living on that land.”
The community had already lost around 1,000 resin trees in the area, she said. “If we lose all of them, what can we do?”
She said Villa Development was a rubber plantation that arrived to the area in 2008, and it had encroached on community forests since 2012.
A phone number for Ratana listed with the Commerce Ministry did not connect.
Tola, a prominent activist and coordinator for the Mondulkiri Indigenous People Network who has faced previous legal actions against him, including fines for defamation, told VOD that he planned to appear at the court because the representatives did not “incite or defame.”
Phirum has also faced previous legal troubles, including a reported conviction for aggravating a land issue under the Land Law, for which she, Navy and Tum purportedly received two-year jail sentences but were not taken into custody.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Agricultural business
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Apr 26, 2022
- Event Description
Five people from three activist groups were prevented from riding bicycles in Phnom Penh on Tuesday to commemorate the 10th death anniversary of prominent environmentalist Chut Wutty.
Wutty was shot dead 10 years ago while showing journalists forest destruction in the western province of Koh Kong. The activists planned to ride bicycles from Independence Monument to the ministries of justice and environment.
They were first followed by district security guards and police officers to Wat Botum park in central Phnom Penh, and then prevented from starting the bicycle ride.
The activists are Khmer Thavrak’s Chhoeun Daravy, Chhem Sreykea and Yong Sokhlai, Mother Nature’s Phuon Keoreaksmey and Eng Malai from the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association. Two other activists, Hun Vannak and Svay Samnang, were also present to broadcast the bicycle ride on social media.
“We were only talking with them about why they took our bicycles, why they prohibited us from walking, or going anywhere else, asking us to stay in one place,” said Malai.
There was some shoving by security personnel when the activists attempted to leave the area. Authorities also unsuccessfully tried to take the camera of a VOD reporter.
Security personnel told the activists they could leave only after senior officials gave them the go-ahead, Malai said, adding that they planned to go to a small shrine on the riverside to offer blessings for Wutty.
“[Their] message is that this is anarchy, and they are restricting our freedoms,” she added.
Keoreaksmey was previously part of another group of activists who were attempting to cycle from Koh Kong to Phnom Penh to raise awareness about Koh Kong Krao and urge the government to preserve the undeveloped island as a national park. The group was also stopped by police and they had to continue their journey on foot.
At Tuesday’s event, the five activists were dressed in shirts adorned with Wutty’s image and wore helmets adorned with leaves. Keoreaksmey said the authorities wanted to take their shirts too.
“There is not any law that says wearing hats with tree leaves or wearing a shirt with Chut Wutty’s photos is illegal,” she said. “They demanded something from us that we could not do for them.”
Phnom Penh City Hall spokesperson Met Measpheakdey said that people needed permission before conducting activities in public.
“Every public activity for any purpose must be approved by the authorities,” he said.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Apr 26, 2022
- Event Description
Background
Dinh Van Hai, a disabled person, is living in Duc Trong district, Lam Dong province. History of Activism
Dinh Van Hai, with his deep knowledge on international, criminal, civil and land rights, often shares his views on national and international issues. He participated in many demonstrations on national sovereignty and the environment and also protests against human rights violations by the authorities, especially violent attacks against activists.
Mr Hai was arrested in Oct 2021, charged with conducting “anti-state propaganda” pursuant sec 117 of the penal code for his Facebook postings that were critical of the regime's environmental and social policies.
On 26 April 2022, he was sentenced to 5 years jail plus 3 years probation by Lam Dong province court.
His relative (name withheld due to security concern) informed RFA Viet that his family didn't receive any official notification about the hearing. They were only aware of it via a person who provided legal assistance for the disabled, as Mr Hai was disabled.
According to the relative, Mr Hai stated before court that what he did was towards a more progressive, developed, better society, it wasn't his intention to oppose the Party and the state. He also expressed his wish for a multi-party system so the people can participate in a free election.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Apr 23, 2022
- Event Description
Independent photojournalist Natthaphon Phanphongsanon was attacked by 4 men near the Democracy Monument after a protest. Another journalist and a bystander were injured by pro-monarchists in another incident that took place shortly afterward.
The 4 men, who were wearing vests and casual clothes, approached Natthapon, who was about to leave the area on his motorcycle, asking to see the pictures on his mobile phone, but Natthaphon refused. He was subsequently attacked and hit with batons.
The attack took place after a protest by the activist group Draconis Revolution around the Ratchadamnoen area between 16.00 - 20.30. During the event, a group of pro-monarchy supporters could be seen gathering at the opposite side of the Monument.
At one point, there was a confrontation between the two groups as one member of the pro-monarchy group aggressively approached the protestors. The police came in to settle the situation after several minutes of verbal exchanges and taunts.
According to an interview with Thai Media for Democracy Alliance (DemAll), Natthapon said he met one attacker as he was leaving the McDonald restaurant after finishing his work after the protest ended. As he was attacked, he ran back into the restaurant.
DemAll managed to access the CCTV footage from the restaurant. It can be seen that the man approached Natthapon and another two men later surrounded him shortly before the attack took place. Luckily, Natthaphon’s safety helmet saved his head from injury, but his shoulder and arm were directly hit.
Natthaphon filed a complaint to the police over the assault. However, as he was trying to access the CCTV footage at McDonald, two men in private clothes with pistols approached him, claiming to be police officers, asking him not to collect the footage and instead go to see a doctor.
The two left the scene as Natthaphon’s friend made a phone call to the police station responsible for the area to ask whether they had dispatched officers or not, and the answer was no.
As Natthapon was giving an interview to the media in McDonalds, Akkhrawut Kraisisombat, a leading figure from Vocational Students Protecting the Institution, a pro-monarchy group with vocational training backgrounds, together with a two to three followers explained that the attackers were not affiliated with his group and that they wanted the media to remove any accusation of him being involved in the incident.
As the explanation dragged on, quarrels arose and the restaurant staff told the people to talk outside. Shortly after another fight broke out when one of Akkrawut’s group punched a man in the eye, causing bleeding from the eyebrow. One journalist from Political24 who was livestreaming the event was also punched in the hand.
Since the surge of mass protests calling for political and monarchy reform in 2020, the media have rarely been a target of civilian groups who hold different political opinions, and have been most at risk of being from the victims of police operations to disperse protests. This incident has raised concerns about the safety of the media whose job is to present information from the field to their audiences.
Like many others, Natthapon has covered the protests as a citizen photojournalist. He has been a target for public naming and shaming on the pro-monarchy Facebook page Dr.X for covering the protest where the public were asked their opinions about royal motorcades. Despite being wrongly identified as a news agency employee, Natthapon’s name was mentioned along with other citizen journalists and reporters.
On 23 April, Teeranai Charuvastra, Thai Journalists Association (TJA) Vice President for media rights and liberties and reform stated that he and his colleagues are closely monitoring the situation and demanded that the police quickly investigate the incident and inform the public directly about the result.
He expressed concern that the assault had taken place as Natthapon was about to leave the scene as this may cast doubt as to whether the attack had anything to do with him being a journalist and that media practitioners would be afraid for their safety if the investigation result is not clear and the perpetrator could not be brought to justice.
The TJA Vice President also stated that the media, either with official affiliation or independent, have the legal right under the constitution to report information without being harassed and it is the authorities’ duty to protect the exercise of this right.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Apr 22, 2022
- Event Description
Three members of the monarchy reform activist group Thaluwang were arrested earlier today (22 April) on charges of royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act.
Activists Supitcha “Maynu” Chailom, Benjamaporn “Ploy” Nivas, and “Baipor” or Nutthanit (last name withheld) were stopped by highway police on Phet Kasem Road, Phetchaburi, while on their way to Cha Am, a beach town in Phetchaburi and a popular tourist destination. The police checked their identification before presenting arrest warrants on charges of royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act.
The warrant was issued by the Criminal Court and the Central Juvenile and Family Court on a request from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).
The three activists were detained at a nearby highway police service centre before being taken to Bangkok. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that while they were detained, the police presented a search warrant for their electronic devices. Officers also tried to search their car despite not having a warrant for it.
TLHR also said that the police also searched the three activists’ residences and confiscated a laptop, a mobile phone, several t-shirts used during the group’s activities, and signs and stickers the group used to conduct their polls.
The search took place at 9.00, when the activists were already in police custody. The officers were let into the activists’ apartments by the buildings’ juristic persons.
As Thaluwang members, Supitcha, Benjamaporn, and Nutthanit conducted public polls on questions relating to the monarchy, such as whether people are affected by royal motorcades, whether they would like their tax money to be used to maintain the monarchy, and whether they agree with the government allowing the King to use his powers as he pleases.
Nutthanit, 20, has previously been charged with royal defamation, sedition, and refusing to comply with an officer’s order for conducting a poll on royal motorcade at Siam Paragon shopping mall on 8 February 2022. On 28 December 2021, she was also among the three activists arrested for holding up banners with the message “Abolish Section 112” at Wongwian Yai, where a crowd of people were waiting to see King Vajiralongkorn and his entourage, during which officers pushed them around and tried to silence them by placing their hands over their mouth, causing minor injuries. They were charged with causing a public commotion and failing to comply with police orders and received a 1000-baht fine.
Supitcha, 18, is from Chiang Mai and has been previously charged with royal defamation for a speech given at a protest in Songkhla on 30 November 2020, while 17-year-old Benjamaporn previously campaigned against human rights abuses in schools with the student rights group Bad Student. She was charged with violation of the Emergency Decree for participating in a protest at the Ratchaprasong Intersection on 15 October 2020.
All three activists were released on bail at around 18.00. The Criminal Court granted bail for Supitcha and Nutthanit using a 100,000-baht security each, and gave them the conditions that they must not participate in activities that can cause public disorder or damage the monarchy or repeat their offense. They must also report to court every 30 days.
Meanwhile, the Central Juvenile and Family Court granted Benjamaporn bail using a 20,000-baht security.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Apr 22, 2022
- Event Description
Three cadres of the Islamic Student Association (HMI) were arrested by police in front of the State Palace, Central Jakarta. These three HMI cadres were arrested during a demonstration to protest the arrest of a robbery case in Bekasi with the defendant Muhammad Fikry, who is also an HMI cadre.
"Yes, three people (Akmal Fahmi, Andi Kurniawan, and Imam Zarkasi) are still being held. I am still at the Central Jakarta Police, Kemayoran," said Head of Defense and Security Division of PB HMI, Arven Marta, when contacted by reporters, Friday (22/4). /2022).
Arven explained that the arrest occurred when HMI held a demonstration in front of the State Palace on Friday (22/4), at 15.30 WIB this afternoon. The HMI demonstration throughout Jabodetabek was protesting the arrest of one of its cadres, M Fikry, who was considered a victim of the wrongful arrest of a robbery case in Babelan, Bekasi Regency.
"We took action at around half past four in the afternoon. This is because of the problem that our cadres in Bekasi were criminalized, accused of being robbers. Therefore, our alliance from the Jabodetabek HMI went down together at the palace. Indeed, the goal is to pay attention to the issue of human rights cases and victims of wrongful arrests. ," he continued.
Arven said the location for their demonstration coincided with a state official's event. They were asked to move the location of the demo.
"However, the location of the action coincided with an event by a high-ranking state official, so we were asked to shift, because it did not comply with the protocol, which was referred to as a vital object," said Arven.
According to Arven, when the HMI mass was moving to move locations, there was pushing between HMI cadres and the police. Clashes are unavoidable.
Arven explained, three people were arrested in the incident. He said dozens of other cadres were injured.
"So that three people from HMI were arrested and dozens of other friends were injured," he said. Police Explanation
Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for Central Jakarta Metro Police AKBP Wisnu Wardana confirmed that his party had secured 3 HMI cadres.
"We are still investigating," said Vishnu.
Wisnu explained, the initial chronology of the arrests of these three HMI cadres. Initially, the HMI mass numbered about 20 people demonstrating in front of the palace without any notification.
"The mass of the unras action from the HMI group was about 20 people without giving notification of the action to the police," said Wisnu.
On the other hand, HMI held a demonstration at the location of a vital object, namely in front of the State Palace. Which is in accordance with Law Number 9 of 1998 concerning Freedom of Expression of Opinions in Public, demonstrations may not be held at the location of a vital object or a radius of 500 meters from a vital object.
"The police have appealed humanely for the mass action to disperse but it was ignored, so that strict and measurable police action was taken against the mass action so that we arrested three people," said Wisnu.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Apr 21, 2022
- Event Description
Seven students from Yangon’s Dagon University who went missing over two days last week are believed to have been abducted by the military, a leader of the university’s student union said.
On April 21, five of the students disappeared after one revealed in a phone call with Dagon University Student Union chairperson Min Htet Han that a military truck was entering their street in Bahan Township.
The students were identified as Khant Zin Win, Thura Maung Maung, Zaw Lin Naing, Thiha Htet Zaw and Hein Htet.
The next day, two of their colleagues—Thet Paing Oo and Khant Lin Maung Maung—also reportedly went missing.
“We highly suspect that they were taken by the junta. Their families are also asking at the township police stations because they suspect the same thing, but we are still unable to find anything out,” Min Htet Han told Myanmar Now.
None of the students were members of the student union, but they had taken part in anti-coup protests, he said, adding that their disappearance has been reported to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The military council has not responded to Myanmar Now’s calls for comment concerning the missing students.
“We’re worried for their lives,” student union chair Min Htet Han said. “Many incidents like this have happened before, and so many people have died during interrogations without anyone knowing. We are extremely worried because we don’t even know where they are being held or what charges they are facing.”
“Their families at least have the right to know where they are,” he added.
The student union from the Yangon University of Economics also released a statement identifying one of their students, Htet Paing Soe, as also having been detained by the junta on April 21.
At the time of reporting, the AAPP had confirmed that nearly 1,800 civilians had been killed by the military council since the coup, and verified that more than 10,000 people were still in detention.
The actual figures may be much higher.
Even following brutal crackdowns on protests by the junta’s armed forces following the coup in February last year, youth across Yangon have continued demonstrations in opposition to the military.
Several attacks targeting members of the junta’s administrative mechanism have also been carried out by guerrilla forces in the commercial capital.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Apr 21, 2022
- Event Description
A resident in Labuan Bajo was arrested by officers from the Resort Police [Polres] of West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Thursday (21/4) while trying to block an attempt to clear a road for the National Strategic Project [PSN].
Paulinus Jek, the name of the resident, is a member of the Racang Buka Community. He was arrested for trying to block an excavator when the eviction arrived at his teak plantation.
The Racang Buka Community is one of three groups of residents in Labuan Bajo whose land was allegedly taken by the Implementing Agency for the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority [BPOLBF] for the tourism business.
The road that passes through his garden will open access to an area of 400 hectares in the Bowosie Forest which will later become a project site by the Tourism Authority of Labuan Bajo Flores [BPOLBF] to be developed into a tourism business area.
Together with other residents of the Racang Buka Community, Paulinus has tried to resist the eviction. This is because they have controlled and resided in the area since 1999. They have made various efforts to gain recognition from the state.
However, their efforts went unanswered, and the eviction for the opening of the road was carried out on Thursday, April 21 under the guard of about 50 police and several members of the TNI. There are officers wearing official uniforms, some wearing civilian clothes while carrying long-barreled weapons.
Paulinus's arrest began with his shouting so that the teak trees would not be evicted.
"Don't evict my teak. Don't," he said, pointing and walking towards the excavator.
His scream was then followed by other residents. "This is our plant," shouted a resident.
"We are humans, sir. Please communicate. We are not animals," added another resident.
The actions of Paulinus and several other residents had made the excavator stop. However, the Head of the Mabar Police OPS Division, Robert M. Bolle, asked the heavy equipment operator to continue the work.
"Don't be silent. Forward, forward," he said.
Paulinus continued to protest and questioned the presence of the officers at the place.
"How much did you get paid. How much did the police get paid?" Paulinus shouted, pointing at the police in front of him.
Robert responded to his words with an arrest warrant.
"Secure him. Secure him. Take him. Arrest the others," he ordered to which several police personnel responded immediately.
Paulinus who was standing right in front of the excavator was immediately dragged away. He was struggling to get free from the police ambush. After Paulinus was arrested, the eviction was continued, under tight security by the army and police.
At 13.00 WITA, Paulinus was released and rejoined the residents.
The refusal of residents in the vicinity of the Bowosie Forest, as well as other civilian elements to the project, which is part of the national strategic project, was carried out because they considered the eviction site to be a buffer forest area for the city of Labuan Bajo. In addition, some areas are community gardens.
Racang Buka residents who enter the area of Gorontalo Village, Komodo District have inhabited the area since the 1990s.
They have made various legal efforts to legally inhabit at least 150 hectares of the Bowosie Forest in the southern part through a scheme to free forest areas into settlements and agricultural land.
Their step was answered by the government through the Decree of the West Manggarai Forest Boundary No. 357 of 2016, but only about 38 hectares were granted, which was designated as an area for Other Use Areas [APL].
While the residents were only given 38 hectares, the other part of the forest that they requested to become their rights is now part of the area handed over by the government to BPO-LBF through Presidential Decree 32 of 2018.
The Head of Operations Section [Head of OPS] West Manggarai Police, AKP Robertus M. Bolle stated that his presence at the eviction site was only to provide security at the order of the Chief of Police and the request of the Implementing Agency for the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority [BPOLBF].
"We carry out security duties with a letter of assignment from the police chief. The basis for that is an application from the Flores Labuan Bajo Authority Implementing Agency [BPOLBF] for security related to the opening of roads on government land. So that's the basis," he said.
"So, we are here to carry out security. Only security. Both from the workers and from the community itself," he added.
Regarding the arrest of the residents of Paulinus, he emphasized that this step was taken to prevent a bigger problem from being avoided.
"Persuasion has been done, communication has been good, we have to be a little strict with this activity. There is no pushing. But there is one of our brothers who gave his life in the excavator. We secure him so he doesn't get hurt. We move him from the location that threatens his life. , said Robert.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Apr 20, 2022
- Event Description
Junta soldiers drove a vehicle into a crowd of protesters in Yangon on Wednesday afternoon, missing the marchers but smashing into a car carrying three women taking part in the demonstration, a witness told Myanmar Now.
After the collision, the troops took the women away, said Zaw Htet, a protester from Youth Union, one of the groups involved in the flash mob demonstration. “They held the women at gunpoint and made them sit in formation,” he said.
The women, aged 23, 25 and 30, were trying to escape in the car when they were hit, said Zaw Htet, adding that he did not know where the soldiers took them.
Two of those detained–Khine Thinzar Aye and Ei Phyu Phyu Myint–are members of the Confederation of Trade Unions, Myanmar, the union said on Wednesday. The identity of the third woman has not yet been revealed.
At around 4:25pm, just minutes after the protest started on Thanthumar road in South Okkalapa, some ten troops riding in a double cab pickup truck came hurtling towards the crowd of roughly 30 people.
“We saw them speeding towards us from Myittar street just minutes after the protest started and we dispersed to the sides of the road,” he said. “That was the only reason this didn’t end up the same way as it did on Panbingyi street.”
In December, junta forces drove into a crowd of anti-coup protesters on Yangon’s Panbingyi street, injuring and then arresting several. Witnesses initially told Myanmar Now that five were killed, but it is now unclear if there were fatalities.
Wednesday's protest was organised by the Anti-Junta Alliance Yangon, a group of students’ unions and youth organisations from the city.
The crowd chanted: “The oppressors are becoming more cruel,” and “Those who value justice, wake up!”
“We just wanted to notify people that the military cares for no one’s rights or needs as long as they get to rule the country,” said Zaw Htet.
Regular flash mob protests against the military have continued in Yangon even after soldiers massacred hundreds of peaceful protesters across the country last year.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Apr 20, 2022
- Event Description
Monarchy reform activist Tantawan Tuatulanon’s bail was revoked today (20 April), after the Criminal Court claimed she has broken her bail conditions by going near a royal motorcade and posting about the monarchy on Facebook.
The Ratchadapisek Criminal Court ruled to revoke bail for Tantawan, claiming that she intended to cause disorder by going near a royal motorcade and that her Facebook posts are a repetition of her offence. The order was signed by judge Parit Piyanaratorn, Deputy Chief Justice of the Criminal Court.
Tantawan, 20, was charged with royal defamation, resisting officers, and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for live broadcasting before a royal motorcade on 5 March, during which she questioned the priorities of the police and the King as farmers protesting in the area at the time were forced to move to clear the route.
She was arrested again on the evening of 5 March on Ratchadamnoen Nok Road, the route of King Vajiralongkorn’s motorcade, by about 60 officers. She was initially taken to Phaya Thai Police Station before being moved to the Police Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road since the police feared her supporters would stage a demonstration in front of the police station.
Tantawan was detained in the Narcotics Suppression Bureau located inside the Police Club from 5 March to 7 March when she was granted bail on a 100,000-baht security and the conditions that she must not repeat her offense or participate in activities which damage the monarchy, and must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
Police from Nang Loeng Police Station asked the court to revoke her bail in late March, claiming that she violated her bail conditions by driving into an area where a royal motorcade was scheduled to pass on 17 March, and for posting on her Facebook page comments about royal motorcades and about being harassed by the police.
At around 11.40, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that the police notified them that they will be taking Tantawan to the Central Women's Correctional Institution immediately, even though her lawyer has yet to file another bail request for her.
Meanwhile, Tantawan posted on her Facebook following the court ruling: "Please continue the fight. When you go out to fight, please think of me."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Apr 19, 2022
- Event Description
More than 100 unionists returned to strike against NagaWorld on Tuesday following failed negotiations and the holiday weekend, and they were yet again put on buses and toured around Phnom Penh’s outskirts.
Shortly after workers arrived near the Australian Embassy a little after 2 p.m. Tuesday, a total of 106 strikers were immediately loaded onto public buses and driven as far as the zoo in Chroy Changva district before being dropped off at 4 p.m. near the relocated Freedom Park, according to unionists.
Chan Bora, 37, who is still employed by NagaWorld, said Tuesday afternoon’s protest proceeded as it had before their nine-day break.
She said they unsuccessfully tried to “get in front of the company” by rallying at the park in front of NagaWorld 1, as they had in the early days of the strike.
“I know that when I come, I will be pushed onto the bus. But if we don’t come, they will think that we stopped, so we keep coming,” she said.
When asked how she was feeling to be back on the bus, Bora started crying: “I’m scared of the force from the authorities. If they want us to get on the bus, I will follow. I don’t want to be pushed and forced.”
Negotiations between NagaWorld and the unionists are set to resume on Thursday at the Labor Ministry, after talks stalled once again two weeks before.
Bora said she felt the solution should be simple.
“Two-hundred workers want to go back to work, which is easy to solve if the company wants, because they are full of experience, and this problem will continue if the company won’t solve this.”
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 19, 2022
- Event Description
Karapatan condemns in the strongest terms the shooting incident against indigenous Manobo-Pulangiyon leaders and community members in Quezon, Bukidnon earlier today during their consultation meeting with presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman and senatorial candidates Roy Cabonegro and David D’ Angelo. The incident was livestreamed on Facebook and several were reportedly injured, including a local peasant organizer and a Manobo-Pulangiyon leader.
This act of violence is not merely a flagrant violation of election gun bans: it is a shameless attack which clearly aims to intimidate the indigenous Manobo-Pulangiyon community from asserting their rights to ancestral domains against land-grabbing. That this attack was committed in broad daylight speaks of the brazenness and impunity enjoyed by its perpetrators as well as of other cases of land-grabbing against indigenous communities in Mindanao. It also threatens the safety and integrity of our elections.
We call on the Commission on Elections to immediately investigate this incident. The perpetrators of this incident should be held accountable. We also call on all candidates in the upcoming elections and all freedom-loving Filipinos to condemn this attack and to stand in solidarity with our indigenous brethren in their struggle for their rights to their ancestral domains and self-determination, and in asserting the call for free, safe, and fair elections.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of Religion and Belief, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Apr 19, 2022
- Event Description
Vietnamese citizen journalist and political prisoner Le Trong Hung was allowed to see his wife for the first time since his arrest more than a year ago, a 40-minute meeting last week, his wife told RFA.
Born in 1979, Hung is known for livestreaming on Facebook and YouTube videos on controversial social and political issues, particularly land rights cases that have been at the center of controversies in Vietnam.
He was arrested in March 2021 on charges of “disseminating anti-State materials” under Article 117 of Vietnam’s Penal Code shortly after nominating himself to run for Vietnam’s National Assembly elections in defiance of the ruling Communist Party and sentenced in December to five years in prison and five years of probation.
Hung was able to see his family on April 22, three days after an appeal’s court in Hanoi upheld his sentence in a hearing that neither his lawyers nor his family were informed about in advance, said Hung’s wife, Do Le Na.
“My husband said that on April 19, the trial day, he was ‘kidnapped; and sent to the court. He did not agree to stand the trial as he hadn’t got a chance to see his lawyers,” she told RFA.
Her 40-minute meeting was closely monitored, Na added.
“They repeatedly reminded me and my husband not to mention the appeal trial,” she said. “They warned that our talk over the phone would be stopped and we would be kicked out if we talked about the trial.”
Na said that she would keep fighting for her husband.
“I myself will keep speaking up and reaching out to human rights organizations and civilized countries which pay attention to the human rights situation in Vietnam. I want to point out how my husband has been treated and expose all of the Vietnamese government’s wrongdoings.”
Before his candidacy, Hung was a chemistry teacher at Xa Dan junior high school in Hanoi, but he quit teaching after unsuccessfully petitioning for reforms to the educational system.
He had also participated in protests for environmental conservation, as well as sharing news about protests in Myanmar and the cases of other activists targeted by Vietnam’s government.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to fair trial
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Apr 18, 2022
- Event Description
Sitanun Satsaksit, sister of missing activist in exile Wanchalearm Satsaksit, was included on a police special ‘red level’ watchlist, said the Cross-Cultural Foundation (CrCF) today (22 April).
The CrCF said that a document was released on Monday (18 April) containing a list of people who are on the police’s list of “Special surveillance subjects (red level)”. The list included Sitanun and another activist, and the CrCF speculated that the list was compiled by a national security agency and sent to provincial police in order to have these people monitored.
Sitanun’s brother Wanchalearm went missing on 4 June 2020 while living in exile in Cambodia. For the past two years, Sitanun has been calling for justice for him. She has submitted petitions to government agencies and joining pro-democracy protests to campaign against enforced disappearance.
She is currently facing 2 charges of violating the Emergency Decree for speaking about her brother’s disappearance at a protest in September 2021 and for joining a group of other activists to submit a petition on human rights violations in Thailand to UN representatives in Thailand.
Meanwhile, Wanchalearm’s fate remains unknown and no progress has been made in the investigation into his disappearance.
The CrCF said that the watchlist is unlawful and a violation of Sitanun’s privacy and safety, and its lawyer, acting on behalf of Sitanun, will be sending a letter to police headquarters requesting an investigation into which agency complied the document, what its purpose is, and what the agency in question intend to do with Sitanun.
The request also asked the police to investigate whether the document has been sent to the local police near Sitanun’s residence, and if police headquarters is involved in the document’s compilation and in monitoring her activities, they must immediately cease their actions.
The CrCF called on the authorities to stop the legal prosecution of Sitanun, who is a human rights defender and is currently facing charges for participating in pro-democracy protests and demonstrations to call for justice for her brother. It also said that it will be sending copies of the letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); the parliament Standing Committee on legal affairs, justice, and human rights; and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Reprisal as Result of Communication
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Thailand: WHRD charged with Emergency Decree violation
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Apr 17, 2022
- Event Description
Land rights activist Sat Pha, who was convicted of incitement last August in relation to a protest one year earlier outside the Chinese embassy, has fled Cambodia saying a death threat was posted on her door in Phnom Penh.
Pha was released in November with several other activists after serving a year in pre-trial detention and prison. Since her release, the former prisoner of conscience had been active in protesting the charges against Cambodian-American lawyer Seng Theary. Theary, an activist, is one of 139 supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party who are being tried, en masse, for plotting to overthrow the government — charges rights monitors maintain are politically motivated.
“Upon my release from prison, I continue to struggle to fight injustice and have received verbal threats, including a death threat posted on my front door,” she told CamboJA via text message.
Pha said that she left Phnom Penh on Sunday and entered Thailand through an illegal crossing in Banteay Meanchey province.
“I am worried about my personal security if I remain in Cambodia,” she said. She added that she hopes the UN Refugee Agency can provide her with asylum status and find a third country for resettlement as she may face security threats in Thailand too.
A photo shared by Pha showed a note reading: “If you are still strong, be careful of disappearing.”
Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said he knew nothing of the death threat and suggested that perhaps the activist had forged the note.
“We do not know if it is true or not, related to the note posted,” he said.
“There are no death threats, and what would she have been threatened for because she wasn’t involved to commit or impact [national] security,” Sopheak said, noting that she already had been convicted and imprisoned.
“It might be her trick that she has posted herself to seek political asylum,” he said.
Pha denied the allegation, saying it was unsurprising a ruling party official would suggest it.
“I believe that because he is a CPP official, he will say that because he has never accepted their mistake.”
Am Sam Ath, operation director at rights group Licadho, called on the authorities to thoroughly investigate the threat.
“We beg authorities to investigate and find out the truth for the victim to avoid an accusation of politically motivation or political discrimination,” he said.
He noted that harassment of former opposition activists and supporters is not uncommon and that authorities rarely investigate.
In August 2021, Pha was sentenced to 12 months in prison along with nine others who protested outside the Chinese embassy in October 2020, calling for the Cambodian government to respect the Paris Peace Agreement and oppose a Chinese military presence.
A longtime activist, Pha was among the thousands of families evicted from the Boeung Kak lake area to make way for the development project of Shukaku Inc.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender, Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Apr 17, 2022
- Event Description
The alleged hacking of cellphones happened to a number of student activists in Kediri who held a demonstration in front of the Kediri City DPRD Office, Monday (11/4/2022).
The hacking occurred allegedly related to student demonstrations. Because the cellphone numbers belonging to a number of activists were asked to enter a verification code.
Chadifan, as the commander of the demonstration team, said there were hacking attempts by irresponsible parties.
A student of the Study Program Outside the Main Campus (PSDKU) Universitas Brawijaya Kediri told a number of media crews that his cellphone suddenly received a notification from another device that was trying to log in to his WhatsApp account.
According to him, the piracy of cellphones is evidence of the ongoing crisis of democracy in Indonesia.
"We are verifying the code. What we have done is two number or two-step verification. If there is an attempt we need to re-enter, this means hacking or logging in from another device so we need to confirm who is my login or not," said Chadifan after the demonstration in front of the Kediri City DPRD Office. In fact, a friend's number at Brawijaya University Malang has also been hacked and is still not functioning again. Even though there have been hacking attempts by other parties, Chadifan admitted that he still has no plans to report the case to the police.
It is suspected that the hacking of the student's cell phone number was related to the student demonstration movement to address the latest issues raised by students.
Meanwhile, the Head of Operations at the Kediri Police, Kompol Abraham Sisik, admitted to a number of media crews that so far the officers had not received any reports.
“There is no hacking of cellphones in Kediri. We ensure that the demonstration in Kediri is safe and orderly. Students are like our own children and younger siblings. We oversee it from the beginning, until the end of the demonstration. They expressed their gratitude to the police,” he said. To secure the student demonstration, the Kediri City Police deployed 410 personnel. Officers also escorted students and carried out traffic engineering during the demonstration which took place on Jl Mayor Bismo, Kediri City.
- Impact of Event
- 12
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Apr 15, 2022
- Event Description
A network of civil society organizations dealing with children’s rights filed a complaint on Monday (18 April) with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), after Ministry officials were reported to be involved in the detention of 3 teenage activists on 15 April.
On 15 April, 3 teenage activists, one of whom was a 13-year-old girl, were detained while eating at the McDonald’s next to the Democracy Monument, possibly because a demonstration was scheduled to start there later in the day.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that the group was detained by 30 - 40 police officers and MSDHS officials, and were taken to the Ministry. Police officers also tried to confiscate their phones, claiming that they have the authority to do so on Ministry grounds, but the three activists were not charged, which TLHR said amounts to wrongful detention.
The activists were later taken to the Police Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. They were released in the evening without charges.
One girl said on a live broadcast on the Facebook page Friends Talk that she went to eat at the McDonald’s next to the Democracy Monument, but was then asked by plainclothes police to leave because a royal motorcade was scheduled to pass the area. She insisted she was not planning any demonstration, and that she should not have to leave because she had done nothing wrong. Officials from the Ministry then came to talk to her before she was forcibly taken away by police officers. She also noted that the police told her parents she was “asked” to go with them when in fact she was carried out of the shop.
The girl said that the officers originally told them that they would be taken to the Bangkok City Hall, but they were instead taken to the MDSH. Once there, they were moved again to the Police Club since the officers were afraid that protesters would come to the Ministry. She also said that, once they arrived at the Police Club, their phones were confiscated, although they were later returned.
She also said that the police told her parents she tried to obstruct a royal motorcade when in fact she was just eating in the McDonald’s, and that Ministry personnel also told her parents that she was campaigning about the Ministry.
Although the MDSH is responsible for child welfare and has the authority to detain minors if they are committing a crime, the girl said that what Ministry personnel did to her should not be called protection.
“They said that they are protecting children, but what they did was dragging me and ordering to have me detained. MDSH officials watched me being carried into a police vehicle. They kept their arms by their side and just watched,” she said, noting that officials were dragging her by the arm while detaining her.
Following their release, 2 of the activists went to Chana Songkhram Police Station to file a complaint against the officers who arrested them for misconduct, confinement, taking children away from their guardians, and assault.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Apr 12, 2022
- Event Description
The authorities in Thailand should urgently investigate an incident intended to intimidate a prominent human rights defender, Human Rights Watch said today.
On April 12, 2022, at about 6 a.m., an unidentified assailant threw a pair of 9-inch-long scissors at the house of Angkhana Neelapaijit in Bangkok, making a hole in her front door. Security camera footage showed what appeared to be a woman wearing a face mask and a dark t-shirt with the Thai numeral 9 standing in front of the house, throwing the scissors, and then running away. Angkhana, 66, is a former commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand and a newly appointed member of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
“Violent acts intended to intimidate a well-known figure like Angkhana not only pose a threat to her and her family, but send a spine-chilling message to the entire Thai human rights community,” said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Thai government should respond immediately by undertaking a serious investigation to ensure that everyone responsible for this incident is held accountable.”
Angkhana told Human Rights Watch that she and her family felt vulnerable after the Justice Ministry canceled her protection under the government’s witness protection program on April 1. The authorities claimed the service was no longer needed because Angkhana’s life would no longer be in danger after the Department of Special Investigation ended its investigation of the enforced disappearance of her husband, the prominent human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit.
“The Thai government should not ignore this disturbing incident, which appears to be a response to Angkhana’s effective human rights advocacy,” Pearson said. “Foreign governments and the United Nations should press the Thai government to urgently act to protect Angkhana and other human rights defenders in the country.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Apr 11, 2022
- Event Description
Rumors that Indonesia might postpone the scheduled 2024 presidential elections caused thousands of students around the country to march in protest on Monday.
The students say postponing the vote would allow President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi as he goes by, to remain in office beyond a two-term limit. Widodo has denied the rumors.
"This needs to be explained so that there are no rumors circulating among people that the government is trying to postpone the election, or speculation about the extension of the president's tenure or a related third term," Widodo said at a Cabinet meeting on election preparations.
In front of the parliament building in Jakarta, police used tear gas and water cannons to try to end the protests. Most left after some politicians met with them and vowed to protect the constitution.
However, some politicians reportedly support an extension for Widodo, saying he needs more time to fix the country’s economy, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We demand that the lawmakers do not betray the country's constitution by amending it," Kaharuddin, a protest coordinator, said. "We want them to listen to people's aspirations."
Another protester, Muhammad Lutfi, blamed the country’s elites for trying to delay the elections.
A two-term limit for the president was established in 1999 as the first amendment to the country’s constitution. That came one year after pro-democracy protests caused dictator Suharto to step down after leading the country for decades.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Apr 11, 2022
- Event Description
Local police claimed soldiers were on holiday, not shooting at patrollers in a Kampong Speu community forest, as residents allege they were again targeted by soldiers last week.
Nov Norn, Trapaing Chor commune police chief in Oral district, acknowledged victims’ accounts that they had been shot at inside the “Metta” community forest last week, but downplayed the incident.
Though residents said it was soldiers who had shot at them, Norn said he had been told the area’s soldiers were on holiday.
“We asked the superiors in relation to the soldiers. We were not involved, and will let the inspection team investigate because this case is related to the military court,” he said. “It was not soldiers. It was just shooting to threaten, and shots to break the trailers’ tires. There were no injuries in the shooting.”
The forest has been mired in dispute since it was given to the military last year, taking away a community asset that local residents say they have worked to protect for decades. Among the forest’s defenders is a monk who has been living in the woods for years, and who was also allegedly shot at by soldiers last month.
Resident Khoeun Kea said six soldiers shot at him and his brother on April 11, destroyed their trailer, and beat his brother. He filed a police complaint two days later that the incident amounted to an attempt on their lives. But he had yet to be questioned for any further information, he said.
“I asked the relevant authorities to investigate and arrest the perpetrators to punish them under the law because this was an act of manslaughter,” Kea said.
Norn, the commune police chief, however, said the violence had been merely a conflict between individuals, and it was hired workers — not soldiers — who fired guns.
Oral district police chief Buth Buntheoun hung up after a reporter introduced himself.
Khorn Sarith, another local resident, said it was not an isolated incident. Soldiers had also fired at him when he and other community members protested against them clearing the forest in the past, Sarith said.
There have now been several incidents of shooting and violence, including some injuries. But police have not responded, he said.
“Soldiers have done whatever they want, and legal action has not been taken,” Sarith said.
Ten community representatives are instead facing court prosecution over their protests, residents said.
Vann Sophat, a land monitoring official at the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, said warning shots, threats and violence were clearly illegal and violated human rights.
“We see that Cambodians who are affected by land or other rights violations are suffering worse and worse because there is a culture of impunity for law enforcement officials, especially the armed forces.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Apr 11, 2022
- Event Description
The Central Coordinator of the Student Executive Board or BEM SI, Kaharuddin, said that his house in Riau was visited by unknown people after the April 11, 2022 demonstration in front of the Indonesian Parliament Building, Central Jakarta. The unknown person came to his house when Kaharuddin was in Jakarta.
"On the evening of April 11, a neighbor saw (an unknown person). He asked for his home address and wanted to tell his parents that there was no news of Kahar in Jakarta. It seems he wants to panic the parents," said Kaharudin when contacted by Tempo, Wednesday. , April 13, 2022.
In last Monday's action, Kaharuddin was the most vocal student delivering oration in front of the DPR RI Building. The Riau University student who was also a student representative met with three Deputy Chairmen of the Indonesian House of Representatives, namely Sufmi Dasco, Rahmat Gobel, and Lodewijk F Paulus, and the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
Kaharudin explained that threats also came to him ahead of the April 11 action. He admitted that he received a call from an unknown number threatening to harm Kahar before the April 11 demonstrations began.
Kaharuddin said that threats like this have often happened every time BEM SI will hold a national action. However, this is the first time that the perpetrators have carried out a mode of action by making parents worried.
This effort to stamp out this action also happened to other members of BEM SI. Kaharuddin said that several campuses in the area even summoned the BEM the day before the action started. Several other students also admitted to being terrorized before the action started.
Kaharuddin said that his Instagram social media had also been hacked since 7 April 2022 until now. After being hijacked, his social media spread information on the cancellation of the April 11, 2022 action. "Yesterday I reported it to Safenet (about the hacking)," said Kaharuddin.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Online Attack and Harassment, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Internet freedom, Freedom of expression Offline, Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Apr 11, 2022
- Event Description
The alleged hacking of cellphones happened to a number of student activists in Kediri who held a demonstration in front of the Kediri City DPRD Office, Monday (11/4/2022).
The hacking occurred allegedly related to student demonstrations. Because the cellphone numbers belonging to a number of activists were asked to enter a verification code.
Chadifan, as the commander of the demonstration team, said there were hacking attempts by irresponsible parties.
A student of the Study Program Outside the Main Campus (PSDKU) Universitas Brawijaya Kediri told a number of media crews that his cellphone suddenly received a notification from another device that was trying to log in to his WhatsApp account.
According to him, the piracy of cellphones is evidence of the ongoing crisis of democracy in Indonesia.
"We are verifying the code. What we have done is two number or two-step verification. If there is an attempt we need to re-enter, this means hacking or logging in from another device so we need to confirm who is my login or not," said Chadifan after the demonstration in front of the Kediri City DPRD Office. In fact, a friend's number at Brawijaya University Malang has also been hacked and is still not functioning again. Even though there have been hacking attempts by other parties, Chadifan admitted that he still has no plans to report the case to the police.
It is suspected that the hacking of the student's cell phone number was related to the student demonstration movement to address the latest issues raised by students.
Meanwhile, the Head of Operations at the Kediri Police, Kompol Abraham Sisik, admitted to a number of media crews that so far the officers had not received any reports.
“There is no hacking of cellphones in Kediri. We ensure that the demonstration in Kediri is safe and orderly. Students are like our own children and younger siblings. We oversee it from the beginning, until the end of the demonstration. They expressed their gratitude to the police,” he said. To secure the student demonstration, the Kediri City Police deployed 410 personnel. Officers also escorted students and carried out traffic engineering during the demonstration which took place on Jl Mayor Bismo, Kediri City.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 10, 2022
- Event Description
The family of a church worker who was arrested in Cagayan De Oro denied the claims of authorities that there were firearms and ammunition found in his home.
Aldeem Yañez, a member of Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), was arrested when combined members of the Philippine military and the Philippine National Police raided his home early morning of Sunday, April 10.
The Promotion of Church People’s Response described Yañez’s arrest as an “established pattern where authorities have planted firearms and ammunition during the operations.”
In a video uploaded in social media, Yañez’s mother, Kathleen, said that her son is known as a good man in their village and in the IFI national office, dedicating his life to serve the marginalized.
She thanked all those who are supporting their Yañez and their fight for justice and the truth.
On Monday, April 11, church groups held an online indignation rally to condemn Yañez’s arrest.
Last June 4, 2018, Yañez was among 13 activists and church workers who were arrested during a program consultation of the IFI’s Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development regarding issues of farmers and the lumad communities in General Santos City, South Cotabato.
IFI priest Fr. June Mark said that the allegations against his brother is impossible because he has been taking care of their sick father at their home for the past months. “Who in their right mind will bring firearms and ammunition in this kind of situation? He also does not have a record of being a gun smuggler or drug dealer for him to bring firearms and ammunition where our parents live,” June Mark said.
“He is not a priest like me, or bishop like my other brother but he is eager to serve the people. Guitar is his most favorite instrument of proclaiming the good news as well as what we can call a weapon of resistance as an activist, not guns and ammunition as claimed by the state agents,” he said.
In a statement, IFI Supreme Bishop Rhee Timbang decried what he described as a “grave abuse of police and the military power and the cooptation of the civil courts.”
“We root this in the tyrannical rule of the present dispensation which has no regard and respect for the law, human rights, social justice and human dignity,” Timbang said in a statement.
Yañez is currently detained at Camp Evangelista, Patag, Cagayan de Oro City with charges of illegal possession of firearms.
Timbang said Yañez is in good standing as a member of the IFI. “He is active and committed in his participation to the life and work of the Church as being a consistent church youth leader in the parish, diocesan, regional [Mindanao], and national level,” Timbang said adding that Yañez also served as the national youth president of the church.
Yañez also served as a volunteer staff of Visayas-Mindanao Regional Office for Development (VIMROD), a development program of the IFI, and of Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP).
“He is a musician and songwriter of many church songs used popularly within and outside the IFI,” Timbang said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Apr 10, 2022
- Event Description
Traffic police taking money from motorists detained and threatened a citizen journalist, ordering him to delete his photos and videos of the bribery, the journalist alleged.
Suon Vutha said he was on his way from Kampot to Phnom Penh on Sunday when he reached a checkpoint in Kandal’s Loeuk Dek district. He saw taxi vans overflowing with passengers, but traffic police were taking money to look the other way, Vutha said.
“Some of them were overcrowded, so they just gave 20,000-30,000 riel [$5-$7.5] to the traffic police. They let them go without any direct law enforcement,” he said.
Vutha pulled out his phone to take videos, and he was taken in for questioning for more than an hour. Officers demanded to see his “mission letter” as well as ID, and ordered him to delete his videos and sign an agreement to stop.
“It’s a threat to the people,” he said. “I filmed this in public. I did nothing wrong. And he threatened to send me to the district authorities to build a case to take to court.”
“He said I was wrong to film authorities while they operated.”
Vutha said he eventually signed the agreement and deleted his images so he could get away.
Vutha is a member of a citizen journalists training program with the Cambodian Center for Independent Media. CCIM is VOD’s parent organization.
Loeuk Dek district governor Am Thou defended the police’s actions, saying that the orders to delete the videos were not a threat because the journalist had failed to request and receive cooperation from authorities at work.
“The press must ask for cooperation from that place. No matter what the place is, please show up with enough rights to do so,” Thou said. “If you sneak up and take photos, it means that you are taking the negative points to do something bad, and we, the authorities, are not prepared.”
Thou added that if there was any bribery, both the motorists and police would be at fault.
However, Information Ministry spokesman Phos Sovann said anyone could take photos or videos in public. Exceptions were areas that authorities had enclosed off to preserve evidence or conduct important inquiries, he said.
Traffic officers would be overstepping if they ordered journalists to delete videos and threatened to send them to court, and would be infringing on journalists’ work, Sovann added.
Cambodian Journalists Alliance director Nop Vy agreed, saying orders to delete images taken in public places were a violation of civil liberties.
“It is only if such threatening actions are investigated and prosecuted or punished with administrative fines that it will be possible to prevent such threats from repeating in the future.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Apr 8, 2022
- Event Description
A Mandalay-based lawyer known for helping farmers in land disputes with the military was “brutally” beaten by soldiers in front of his wife and children before being taken away earlier this month, a friend of his has said.
Five vehicles full of junta troops arrived at the Chanayetharzan Township home of Si Thu, 40, on April 8 to abduct him. He has not been seen or heard from since and the military has not told the family where he is being held.
“He was beaten brutally in front of his family,” said the friend, who is also a lawyer and asked not to be named. “They only stopped beating him when the wife and the children started begging the soldiers.”
From 2019 Si Thu worked pro bono on the case of a group of residents who were opposing the construction of a cement factory in the village of Aung Tha Pyay. Police shot a man in the leg during a 2020 raid targeting those protesting the factory.
The lawyer also represented farmers in Pyin Oo Lwin who tried to prevent the military from seizing their land in late 2020.
At least 20 people were arrested in Mandalay last week for their opposition to the military, according to local sources.
Three young anti-coup activists from the city, including a protest leader named Thura Aung, have been held in junta custody since January. Activists from the Mandalay Strike Committee say they are worried for the detainees’ lives.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to work
- HRD
- Land rights defender, Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Apr 7, 2022
- Event Description
Vietnamese authorities should drop all requirements that journalist Phan Bui Bao Thy attend mandatory “re-education” classes, let him work freely, and stop using arbitrary anti-state laws to harass and detain journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.
On April 7, the People’s Court of Quang Tri sentenced Thy to one year of “non-custodial re-education” for allegedly defaming state leaders on social media, according to news reports. That sentence allows Thy to live outside of a prison, but under state supervision that requires him to attend classes on local laws and regulations for the duration of his sentence, according to reports.
The ruling, handed down after five days of deliberations, cited 79 posts allegedly published by Thy and Le Anh Dung, a local businessman, on the Facebook pages Hoang Le, Quang Tri 357, and QUANG TRI 357 between April 2020 and February 2021, according to those reports, which said the posts infringed on the “reputation, honor and dignity” of provincial leaders.
Dung was sentenced to 18 months of the same punishment, those reports said.
“It is Vietnamese authorities, not journalist Phan Bui Bao Thy, who need a ‘re-education’ on the importance of a free press in a just, fair, and democratic society,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Vietnam must immediately stop punishing and jailing journalists on spurious anti-state charges.”
Thy, the bureau chief of the state-run Giao Duc Va Thoi Dai (Age and Education) news magazine, was first detained on February 10, 2021, in Vietnam’s central Quang Tri province, as CPJ documented at the time.
At the time, CPJ was able to review the page Quang Tri 357, which had about 2,300 followers and featured posts accusing Quang Tri provincial leaders of misusing funds meant for local infrastructure and property projects. The Facebook pages allegedly linked to Thy and Dung have since been taken down or set to private.
Thy was held in pretrial detention until his conviction under Article 331 of Vietnam’s penal code, an anti-state provision that bans “abusing freedom and democracy to infringe on the legal interests of the state, organizations, and individuals,” according to those news reports.
CPJ emailed the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and called the Quang Tri People’s Court for comment, but did not receive any replies.
Vietnam is among the world’s worst jailers of journalists, with at least 23 members of the press, including Thy, behind bars for their work at the time of CPJ’s 2021 prison census.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 7, 2022
- Event Description
Frontliners led by the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) filed charges against the anti-insurgency task force’s spokesperson Lorraine Badoy before the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday, April 7, World Health Day.
The group, together with union leaders from different government hospitals, filed their complaint on the same day when Badoy tagged the AHW along with other progressive groups as a “creation of the CPP-NPA-NDF” to infiltrate the government.
Speaking to members of the press, Antonio La Viña, who serves as counsel for the health workers, said they are filing the complaint against Badoy to make her stop her red-tagging activities.
“As we can see, all those who are doing good things are being red-tagged, even Vice President Leni Robredo and her supporters,” La Viña said in Filipino, adding that red-tagging should be stopped.
“USec. Badoy insulted and demeaned our dignity as leaders and damaged the good reputation of our organization,” said Robert Mendoza, AHW national president, adding, “As we fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been at the forefront in consistently and wholeheartedly serving the Filipino people as we also fight for our safety, protection and welfare.”
After red-tagging AHW, Mendoza said that last April 12, 2021 Badoy accused him and Benjamin Santos Jr., AHW’s secretary general as operatives and cadres of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
In a position paper, Filipino Nurses United said that some of their colleagues experienced threat, harassment and vilification from state forces.
“There have been instances when hospital workers engaged in union activities were stalked in their workplaces and/or red-tagged and caricatured in social media to denigrate their persons and even portray them as enemies of the state,” the group said.
In a statement, Santos asserted that vilifying their organization is putting their lives in imminent danger, citing cases of leaders of legal organizations who, after being red-tagged, were arrested due to trumped-up charges or are even killed.
In December 2020, Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan and her husband were killed in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental. This after her name was included in a hitl ist tagging her as JB Regalado, spokesperson of the New People’s Army in Central Negros. However, Sancelan was working as city health officer and head of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in the province.
Community health workers and human rights defender Zara Alvarez was also killed in Bacolod City. She was also relentlessly red-tagged by the state forces.
Recently, Dr. Natividad Castro who was also red-tagged and arrested, but fortunately was released from prison after the court dismissed the charges against her.
Another health worker, 72-year old Vilma Yecyec, remains in prison after authorities arrested her last February of this year. She is accused of being a member of the NPA.
FNU said that red-tagging by the State is a “blatant violation of one’s right to speak up about issues and concerns affecting our role as health care providers.”
“When we raise our grievances about work life conditions, for instance, and assert our rights to fair wages and humane work conditions, we are justly exercising our fundamental rights to free speech as an organization. But an extreme response by some state forces is to stifle the exercise of legitimate rights, sow fear by red-tagging, hurl trumped-up charges to exact arrest and worse, as has happened, even physically eliminate the targets,” the group said.
Meanwhile, the AHW assert the legality of their organization which, for the past four decades, has championed the rights not only of health workers but also of the people’s right to health.
The group is also behind the legislation of significant laws such as Republic Act 7305 or the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers that ensures the benefits and well-being of government health workers. It also significantly contributed to the proclamation of May 7 as “National Health Workers Day” under Republic Act 10069.
“AHW also played a major role in fighting for salary increase and just benefits of both public and private health workers and made various concerted efforts to seek and improve the living and working conditions of public and private health workers,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said the AHW was also established in accordance with Executive Order No. 180, s.1987, otherwise known as the Public Sector Unionism. It is also registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and its member organizations are registered and accredited by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“For the longest time, the so-called ‘modern-day heroes’ have been fully committed to render service to our country, even risking their lives in battling the deadly virus. Yet, they remain overworked and underpaid while the promised COVID-19 benefits were not equally and fully provided to them,” said Mendoza.
“Instead of addressing and supporting our just call for safety, protection, rights and welfare, Usec. Badoy managed to red-tag us. This is grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a government official and as a medical doctor. She has no sympathy with us as her colleagues in the health profession,” Mendoza added.
Santos said filing a case against red-taggers is one way of protecting their loved ones and their organization.
“Thus, we earnestly urge the Office of the Ombudsman to issue an immediate preventive suspension and ultimately dismiss USec. Badoy from the service, cancel her civil service eligibility and permanently disqualify her to enter any government service,” Santos said.
Prior to this filing by AHW, several groups and individuals have already filed complaints against Badoy at the Office of the Ombudsman after her relentless red-tagging of Robredo, her supporters and groups who are supporting her candidacy.
Groups maintained that Badoy, as a government official, should not be using government resources in attacking the opposition.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Apr 6, 2022
- Event Description
Activist Tantawan Tuatulanon was blocked from going near the Temple of the Emerald Buddha yesterday (6 April) after she intended to wait for a royal motorcade.
King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were scheduled to travel past the area to pay respect to the Monument of King Phuttayodfa Chulalok, or King Rama I, at Memorial Bridge, on the occasion of Chakri Memorial Day, an annual public holiday held on 6 April to commemorate the establishment of the Chakri Dynasty.
The King and Queen were also scheduled to attend a religious ceremony at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Their royal motorcade was greeted by a crowd waiting along the route.
While passing through a checkpoint, Tantawan was stopped by police officers, who checked the identification of both Tantawan and a Prachatai reporter covering her activities.
The police told Tantawan that they could not allow her to pass and join others waiting to receive the King and Queen because she is facing a national security charge. They claimed that they did not have the authority to decide whether she can be let through without consulting the organizing committee. Another person waiting for the royal motorcade nearby also said that Tantawan had to be watched even if she was allowed through because she has broken the law, so Tantawan asked them if they are aware that she is facing a royal defamation charge merely for conducting a poll about whether people are affected by royal motorcades.
Tantawan is facing two royal defamation charges, one for conducting a poll on royal motorcades at Siam Paragon on 8 February 2022 and another for live streaming near a royal motorcade route on 5 March and questioning the authorities for clearing the road in preparation for a procession by removing protesting farmers who had been living in a makeshift shelter on the footpath for 3 months.
She was granted bail on all charges. However, the police have requested that her bail be revoked, claiming that she violated her bail conditions by posting about the monarchy and royal motorcades on social media. The police also claimed that Tantawan and her friends tried to drove to an area close to a royal motorcade on the evening of 17 March 2022. The Ratchadapisek Criminal Court has scheduled a hearing on 20 April 2022 during which it will rule whether her bail will be revoked.
While Tantawan was waiting at the checkpoint, she was approached by a woman wearing a yellow shirt. After seeing a "Ku Kult" sticker on Tantawan's mobile phone, the woman asked if she worked for the Ku Kult Facebook page.
The woman then asked Tantawan if she knew that the man who put the sticker onto a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn was convicted on a royal defamation charge. Tantawan then asked the woman if the conviction was reasonable, but the woman continued to argue with her and said that normal people are not affected by the royal defamation law.
A Prachatai reporter covering Tantawan's activity was filming the argument on his mobile phone. The woman then tried to slap the phone away, despite the reporter insisting that he had not filmed her face. The woman then walked away while saying "Ku Kult is a Facebook page that insults the King".
At around 17.30, at another protest at the King Taksin the Great Monument at Wongwian Yai, one of the activists announced that Tantawan was being held at a checkpoint along the royal motorcade route and that protesters would march to Memorial Bridge to meet her.
As the march approached Memorial Bridge, police officers lined up to block the bridge and prevent traffic from taking the bridge. The Buppharam Police Station Superintendent then announced that the protesters were violating the Emergency Decree and must disperse immediately.
The Superintendent also said that the police would bring Tantawan to meet the protesters at a park near Phra Pok Klao bridge. However, at the time, Tantawan was still waiting at the checkpoint. The police never took her into custody during the entire evening. She later left the checkpoint with a friend at around 20.30.
At 18.45, the police began letting motorcycles onto Phra Pok Klao Bridge. Officers were stopping motorcycles taking the bridge and asking each person where they were going before letting them through. Other vehicles were not allowed through until 19.00.
While protesters are gathering at Memorial Bridge and Tantawan was waiting at the checkpoint, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Tanruetai, a 16-year-old activist, was detained at Samranrat Police Station after police officers found a “Long live the King” banner in her bag.
Tanruetai said that the police forced her to sign a log of her activity, but did not notify her if she is being charged, so she refused to sign any document and left the police station at around 19.35. She told TLHR that she was detained in the Bangkok City Hall area.
TLHR also said that another teenage activist was detained from the Sanam Luang area and taken to Royal Palace Police Station. The officers claimed that they would record her detention and release her without charging her. The activist refused to participate in the procedure and left the police station at around 19.35.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Apr 5, 2022
- Event Description
On April 5, Win Naing Oo, a reporter for Myanmar news outlet Channel Mandalay, was sentenced to five years in prison for alleged incitement under Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law. The International Federation of Journalists condemns the sentencing of the journalist and calls on Myanmar authorities to immediately revoke the charges against him.
A court inside Obo Prison sentenced Win Naing Oo, the former chief correspondent at Channel Mandalay, to five years in prison under Section 52 (A) of Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law.
Under the law, “whoever is convicted of committing [acts of terrorism] shall be sentenced to a minimum of three-year imprisonment to a maximum of seven-year imprisonment”.
The journalist was sentenced along with three others, Min Thwe, Kyaw Oo and Zaw Min Oo, who were also charged with terrorism.
According to Myanmar Now, the junta has not released any other information regarding Win Naing Oo’s case, including his connection with the other accused.
Authorities first arrested Win Naing Oo and his wife, Thu Thu, on August 31, 2021 at a mango farm in Sintgaing, Mandalay. He was charged with incitement under Section 505 (A) of Myanmar’s Penal Code on September 15, 2021.
The journalist was set to be granted amnesty by the Obo Prison court, however, just before he was to be released, the offer was retracted and he was instead sentenced to prison.
This is not the first time Win Naing Oo has been targeted by the military junta. In 2019 the journalist was charged with defamation under Section 66 (D) of Myanmar’s Telecommunications Law for a story on the military’s confiscation of land near Pyin Oo Lwin.
Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law has been criticised in the past for being “overly broad”, and a way for the junta to justify the arrest and jailing of journalists in the country.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Myanmar: two more media workers detained
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Apr 5, 2022
- Event Description
Vietnamese authorities should release journalist Nguyen Hoai Nam immediately and unconditionally, and stop imprisoning members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.
On Tuesday, April 5, the People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City sentenced Nam to three years, six months in prison under Article 331 of the penal code, an anti-state provision that bans “abusing freedom and democracy to infringe on the legal interests of the state, organizations, and individuals,” according to news reports.
According to those reports, the charges stemmed from Nam’s critical reporting on how authorities handled a corruption case at the Vietnam Internal Waterways Agency, which he posted on his personal Facebook page, which has about 7,800 followers. Nam, a former state media reporter, also frequently posted criticism of Communist Party officials, reports said.
“Vietnamese authorities must free journalist Nguyen Hoai Nam, who was wrongfully sentenced to prison for doing his job as an independent journalist,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Vietnam must stop treating journalists who report in the public interest as criminals, and should ensure that members of the press do not face prison for their work.”
CPJ could not immediately determine whether Nam intends to appeal the conviction. He was first detained on April 3, 2021, in Ho Chi Minh City, and was held in pretrial detention until his conviction and sentencing on Tuesday.
CPJ emailed the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and called the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court office for comment, but did not receive any replies.
Vietnam is among the world’s worst jailers of journalists, with at least 23 members of the press behind bars for their work at the time of CPJ’s 2021 prison census.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Vietnam: media worker arrested on catch-all charges
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Apr 5, 2022
- Event Description
Ma Wai, a 35-year-old single mother, was in an especially good mood on the morning of April 5 as she prepared to send packages of chicken and rice to her son’s kindergarten to celebrate his third birthday.
Then a group of soldiers arrived at her home on Mahar Thukhita street in Yangon’s Insein Township.
Her brother, 30, and elderly parents, both in their 70s, received the news shortly after the troops blindfolded Ma Wai and took her away. Having heard multiple stories of the junta targeting the family members of anti-coup protesters, they decided to go into hiding.
But they never imagined the soldiers would be so cruel as to take Ma Wai’s young son.
They calculated that it would be safer to leave Thant Hpone Waiyan at the Best Choice Kindergarten with his teachers and friends. But troops arrived shortly after taking Ma Wai to kidnap the toddler too, a relative who would like to remain anonymous told Myanmar Now.
“It doesn’t make sense,” the relative said. “They’d already taken the mother. There was no reason for them to take the child as well.”
Friends of the family speculated that the soldiers took the boy in order to psychologically torment Ma Wai as a means of extracting information from her. The whereabouts and status of the two are unknown.
Thant Hpone Waiyan was Ma Wai’s only son. As well as caring for him, she had the role of breadwinner in her family and ran her own small ecommerce business. Ma Wai has worked to make money for her family since she was just 10 years old, when she would sell food.
After her husband left her while she was pregnant with Thant Hpone Waiyan, she took out loans to support her family.
“She had been making money for her parents and her brother. Even when she was married, she let her husband stay home while she went out to work. She’s such a bright and honest woman who can’t stand injustice,” said the relative.
“The family has now lost the person they rely on the most and the child they love the most. Everyone’s shaken to the core,” he added.
Myanmar Now was unable to contact Ma Wai’s parents or brother for comment. Their names have been withheld for their security. None of Ma Wai’s family members are politically active. Her father used to work as a driver.
Ma Wai, a graduate of the Yangon Technological University, has never sided with a political party, but after last year’s coup she was so angered by the military’s actions that she joined street protests.
“She wasn’t a fan of any political parties but she took part in the protests solely because it was unfair and she just couldn’t stand by and watch,” said a friend of Ma Wai’s.
Ma Wai’s relatives have received no information about her or her son since they were taken, and they dare not come out of hiding in search of her for fear of being detained themselves.
“The family doesn’t dare to follow her as there’s a risk that the military would arrest the family as well,” said the friend. “It’s hard as her parents are both very old now. They’re in a very tight situation.”
The junta has denied kidnapping Ma Wai’s son. Military spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told Radio Free Asia on April 7 that reports of Thant Hpone Waiyan’s detention were “nonsense”.
“We haven’t arrested any child.,” he told the broadcaster. “There was absolutely no such incident.”
In January Zaw Min Tun admitted the junta had detained some children “out of necessity”.
Since seizing power in last year’s coup, the junta’s forces have killed 132 children and detained another 216, two of whom are facing death sentences, according to figures from the underground National Unity Government (NUG).
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Apr 5, 2022
- Event Description
On April 5, Kadamay-Negros education officer Iver Larit is reported missing after he left his residence in Bacolod City. According to Karapatan, Larit left his house around 9:00 a.m. that day but he reportedly did not arrive at an appointment with an urban poor community which he was helping to organize against threats of demolition. By 10:00 a.m. Larit’s son could no longer reach him through his mobile number.
Larit is a former political prisoner and has been a target of harassment and other attacks throughout the years, Karapatan said. In 2011, he was detained for eight months over a trumped-up robbery-in-band charge. He was eventually released after the court dismissed the charges against him due to lack of substantial evidence.
Karapatan said Larit’s name was also included in a ‘kill, kill, kill’ list of activists in Negros which was sent to the Karapatan national office’s public information desk through a text message just mere hours after the Bloody Sunday raids throughout the Southern Tagalog region last year.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Apr 1, 2022
- Event Description
A total of six students participating in the demonstration against the extension of President Joko Widodo's term of office were hacked. Their WhatsApp number was hacked.
BPP Spokesperson, Delpedro Marhaen Rismansah, who is also an orator at the demonstration in the Harmoni area, Central Jakarta, said the hack was in the form of taking over WhatsApp accounts.
"So the WhatsApp account asked for verification again. We asked for the code not to enter again, then the WhatsApp account exited," said Pedro to Suara.com, Friday (1/4/2022).
It is clear that the hack took place a few days before their demonstration. The first hack was experienced by the Chair of the University of Indonesia's BEM on March 29, 2021.
Then the next day experienced by the management of BEM throughout Indonesia. Then on March 31, three administrators of the Student Political Block also experienced it.
"And today one person, during our long march from Trisakti University. So a total of six people," he said.
Pedro also suspected that the hacking was an attempt to defuse the demonstration they held today.
This afternoon, hundreds of students held a demonstration in the Harmoni area or precisely behind the State Palace area. They protested against the postponement of the election which would have an impact on the extension of President Joko Widodo's term in office.
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Mar 31, 2022
- Event Description
Oktovianus Tabuni from the Gratia Legal Aid Post in Nabire said the police had forcibly dispersed a mass demonstration against the planned expansion of Papua Province and Papua Special Autonomy at Karang Tumaritis Market, Nabire, Thursday (31/3/2022). However, some of the participants in the same demonstration managed to deliver a statement of their position at the Office of the Regional People's Legislative Assembly or DPRD Nabire. The demonstration in Nabire followed the call for the Papuan People's Petition (PRP), a petition that garnered support from the Papuan people to reject Papua's Special Autonomy Volume 2, and to demand the right of self-determination for the Papuan people. PRP is supported by 116 grassroots movement organizations, youth, students, communities/paguyuban. There are at least 718,179 Papuan people who have expressed their support for the Papuan People's Petition. Since last week, the Papuan People's Petition has called for simultaneous demonstrations to reject Papua's Special Autonomy, the plan for the expansion of Papua, and to demand the right to self-determination. The PRP's appeal called for a demonstration to be held on April 1, 2022, but the demonstration in Nabire took place earlier on Thursday. The participants of the demonstration gathered in a number of locations since 09.00 WP. Oktovianus Tabuni said that since Thursday morning, residents who will take part in the action have gathered in four different locations. The four locations are Pasar Karang Tumaritis Nabire, in front of the Satya Wiyata Mandala (Uswin) Nabire University campus, in front of the Jepara II Wadio Hotel, and the SP1 Nabire intersection. “The crowd that gathered at Wadio, in front of the Jepara II Hotel and at the Uswim campus, disbanded, because there were so few people who joined there. They then joined the crowd that had gathered at the Nabire DPRD office, which was located in Kali Bobo. Meanwhile, there were many who gathered at the SP1 intersection, and had a chance to have a dialogue with the police because they asked the Nabire DPRD members to be presented to accept the aspirations of the Papuan People's Petition, "said Tabuni. Demonstrations also took place at the Karang Tumaritis Market. According to Tabuni, members of the Nabire DPRD, Sambena Inggeruhi and Cahaya Tambroni, had time to meet the protesters at the Karang Tumaritis Market. “Members of the Nabire DPRD, Sambena Inggeruhi and Cahaya Tambroni, were present at the Karang Market to receive their aspirations. However, the coordinator of the action [at Karang Tumaritis Market] rejected the DPRD members, because the masses asked to march as well as read their aspirations directly at the Nabire DPRD office,” said Tabuni. However, the police refused the request, and forbade the masses at Karang Tumaritis Market to march to the Nabire DPRD office. “When the crowd was about to walk, there was chaos after the police tried to arrest the coordinator of the action and kick the demonstrators. There was a commotion and chaos at the Karang Tumarits Nabire Market,” said Tabuni. Tabuni said police then fired tear gas and warning shots. Tabuni said he received information that three to five people were arrested by the police, including the coordinator of the action at the Karang Tumaritis Market, and were being interrogated at the Nabire Police Headquarters. Although the demonstrators at Karang Tumaritis Market were dispersed by the police, Tabuni said the demonstration of the Papuan People's Petition at the Nabire DPRD Office was peaceful. "The protesters at the Nabire DPRD office have read their statement," said Tabuni. Limiting the rights of Tabuni residents to criticize the police for preventing Nabire residents from joining the Papuan People's Petition demonstration. He reminded that the freedom to express opinions in public is the right of every citizen guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution. “The police also fired shots, that was a bad treatment. It should be the mass police who want to join the masses in the Nabire DPRD, in trucks so they don't get into chaos," said Tabuni. Separately, the Director of the Papuan Legal Aid Institute, Emanuel Gobay, stated that the demonstration of the Papuan People's Petition in Karang Tumaritis Nabire became chaotic because the police tried to arrest one of the coordinators of the action. He asked the Nabire Police Chief to take action against the police who came to the crowd and tried to arrest the coordinator of the action, because this action made the crowd angry and caused chaos. "[There was a policeman who] pulled one of the participants in the action. And [there was] a police officer who kicked the protester and beat him," said Gobay. General. The action of the police kicking and hitting demonstrators also fulfills the criminal element of beating as stipulated in Article 170 of the Criminal Code.
The demonstration by the Nabire Student and Papuan People's Solidarity (SMRP) was forcibly dispersed by the police, Thursday [31/3/2022] The video footage showing the repressive actions of the security forces has gone viral on social media. In the video, the action of Papuan students and people in Nabire withdraws the Special Autonomy and rejects the DOB. The gathering point for the coral market is disbanded with gunfire and tear gas. It was seen that 2 people were arrested by armed violence apparatus, while the protesters took shelter in the market and in the market aisles. Police in full force while firing shots conducted a search inside the Karang market. Disbanded due to pandemic reasons According to the information compiled by Kabar Mapegaa, the demonstration by hundreds of Solidatitas students and the Papuan people was initially peaceful. Not long after, the police asked the students and the Papuan people who were holding the demonstration in Karang Tumaritis to immediately disperse. The reason is that the crowd action carried out is considered to have the potential to cause the transmission of Covid-19. However, the warnings of disbandment by the police were not heeded by the mass action of students and the Papuan people. The actions of the Papuan students and people who were still holding out at the location were finally forced to disperse with firearms and tear gas during the forced dispersal. The mass action of the Papuan Students and People who tried to survive was finally carried out by repressive actions by the police. Two people from the mass protest were reportedly arrested by armed violence officers Police do an evaluation After the video showing the police's repressive actions against Papuan students and people went viral on social media, Nabire Police Chief AKBP I Ketut Suarnaya, S.I.K., S.H, spoke up. Suarnaya admitted that he regretted the repressive actions taken by his members. Moreover, previously the members had been ordered to act humanely in carrying out security. Therefore, his party will conduct an internal evaluation and are ready to take firm action against the guilty members. "There are still unscrupulous people's behavior, of course we will take firm action," said Suarnya.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest, Right to self-determination
- HRD
- Minority rights defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 30, 2022
- Event Description
An anti-dictatorship protest leader from Sagaing Region’s Chaung-U Township was handed a two-year jail sentence for incitement on Wednesday in a junta court inside Monywa Prison, where he had been detained for nearly 10 months, according to a source close to the activist’s family.
Twenty-nine-year-old Man Zar Myay Mon was arrested by the military from Shanhtu village in early June of last year, where he had been on the run from the junta’s forces. He endured a violent interrogation in which he had his fingers broken, a relative told Myanmar Now.
He was charged with five counts of violating Section 505a of the Penal Code.
“He still has to face four more charges,” the family friend told Myanmar Now.
Wednesday’s charge was based on a case filed by police Maj Aung Than Myint, and included two other defendants. Their time already served will be deducted from their prison sentence, the court ruled.
Three of Man Zar Myay Mon’s four other incitement charges were also filed by police officers, and one by a man simply identified in police records as “Aung Baw.”
Further details about those cases were not available at the time of reporting.
The military council issued a warrant for his arrest on April 27, after he had led multiple demonstrations in Chaung-U. He had also taken part in the Letpadan students’ strike in Sagaing in 2014.
Man Zar Myay Mon had previously worked as a freelance journalist, and is an environmental and land rights activist who has researched Myanmar’s mining sector. He is a member of the Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability and the Myanmar Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative for Sagaing.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, there are nearly 10,000 people in detention who have been arrested since the coup. More than 880 have been formally sentenced to prison time.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 30, 2022
- Event Description
A married couple who were arrested last year for protesting against the junta in southeastern Myanmar’s Dawei Township have each been hit with heavy prison sentences, a friend of theirs has said.
Zay Lin Oo and his wife Hnin Su Hlaing, both in their 30s, were detained at a rally on Kyan Mar Yae street in Dawei on March 31, two months after the military siezed power in a coup, a report published by the Dawei Watch media outlet said.
On Wednesday Zay Lin Oo was sentenced for multiple alleged crimes, including murder, that added 15 years to the sentence he was already serving. He now faces a total of 21 years in prison.
In November, a judge at the Dawei Prison Court named Myint Myint San gave Zay Lin Oo six years in prison for various charges including inctiment and breaches of weapons control laws. Hnin Su Hlaing received a four-and-a-half-year sentence on similar charges.
The couple have been separated from their 10-year-old son as a result of their detention, and the boy is now staying with his grandparents, the friend told Myanmar Now.
The boy is their only child and they have not been allowed any visits from him, added an officer from the Dawei Political Prisoners Network.
A 30-year-old former political detainee who met Zay Lin Oo in prison said Zay Lin Oo was not guilty of murder and was charged in place of someone else. Myanmar Now was unable to gather further information about the case.
The officer from the Dawei Political Prisoners Network, who also met with Zay Lin Oo in prison, said Zay Lin Oo had been kept in an isolation cell for two months for taking part in protests inside the prison.
“He was brutally tortured during his interrogation,” the officer added. “His face had so many bruises. He was badly beaten on his legs and arms and back before he arrived at the prison. He has been very active about asking for prisoners’ rights as well.”
Zay Lin Oo did charity work helping the victims of natural disasters across Myanmar, according to his friends.
As of March 6, 175 men and 38 women have been sentenced at the Dawei Prison Court for their opposition to last year’s coup, according to figures from the Dawei Political Prisoners Network.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Mar 29, 2022
- Event Description
The stalemate between NagaWorld executives and laid-off workers continued as a fourth negotiation meeting at the Labor Ministry failed to deliver a resolution.
The meeting was held Tuesday afternoon as more than 200 NagaWorld workers were again met with violence as they attempted to resume their demonstration, and were again packed into buses and driven around the capital.
Outside the Labor Ministry, Sun Sreypich, one of the workers’ negotiators, said the meeting had discussed the reinstatement of workers for over two hours — a point workers have said is a top priority for negotiations.
She said NagaWorld was against reinstating workers because the company had already decided on the redundancies.
She claimed that there were around 350 people who wanted to voluntarily leave the casino and that around 200 workers could be swapped in for people choosing to quit. Sreypich recalled that NagaWorld had indicated that it wanted to further reduce staff, and suggested the swap system would result in a reduction of around 150 workers.
“We talked again and again. I can say I bargained with them to accept the first point,” she said, referring to the demand for reinstatement.
She added that the ministry said another meeting would be scheduled for next week. The ministry had previously said there would be only three meetings and that the parties could then approach the courts, but also scheduled today’s meeting.
Around 220 workers made their way to the casino complex Tuesday afternoon, where video footage uploaded to social media showed them shoved and pushed against security personnel, including plainclothes security officials.
One official routinely seen at the protests was seen on video slapping a worker on the head and then trying to drag away the same worker.
“They solve it at the Ministry of Labor, why don’t you go to resolve it? There are illegal strikes every day and every day I am very bored,” he is heard shouting at workers in one video.
Later, police released photos of the security officer with scratch marks on his arms. The same officer has harassed journalists and human rights monitors at the protests.
Tim Satya, one of the detained workers, said it was worrying that the authorities were escalating the violence used with strikers.
“It is my first time seeing the bad actors from the authorities pushing women workers in front of my face. They don’t listen to us that we have a problem with NagaWorld,” she said.
“They have a big body and pushed me and others. I am shocked and I am afraid but I and the others will still keep striking everyday.”
Meanwhile at the Appeal Court on Tuesday afternoon, judges denied a motion from eight NagaWorld unionists — who were released earlier this month — asking for the investigating judge in their case to visit the protests and for workers to be questioned in the presence of the authorities alleging their involvement in incitement.
Sam Chamroeurn, the workers’ lawyer, said the court had upheld the lower Phnom Penh court’s decision to deny the motions.
Khlaing Soben, one of the workers who attended the hearing, said it was not surprising their motion was denied. “We knew beforehand that there would be no justice for us,” Soben said.
Court spokesperson Sreng Souyeat could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 28, 2022
- Event Description
A freelance journalist based in Myawaddy, Karen State—across the border from Thailand—has been charged with violating Section 505a of the Penal Code for incitement, according to a family friend.
While the reason for his arrest has not been confirmed, the source said that Nay Naw, also known as Myo Naung Naung Zaw, was accused of incitement after a March 27 report he published on social media.
He wrote that two trucks were shot at and set on fire near the Taw Naw waterfall along the section of the Asian Highway that connects Myawaddy with Kawkareik, and noted that “serious battles” were taking place in the area between the Myanmar army and resistance forces.
The friend said that he learned of Nay Naw’s arrest on Tuesday through another social media post by an account under the name of Thurin Min Tun, who said that the journalist had been detained on Monday. Further information about this individual was not available at the time of reporting.
“They said he reported false news and charged him under Section 505a,” the source said.
Nay Naw reportedly went to the Myawaddy police station on Monday after being summoned twice, and was taken into junta custody.
It is not known where he was being held at the time of reporting. His family has not been allowed to see him.
Nan Paw Gay, the editor-in-chief of the Karen State-based KIC news organisation, said that Nay Naw had worked as a freelancer but contributed to KIC.
“We only saw that all his news stories sent to us were based on facts. He always based his news stories on evidence. He did not accuse anyone of anything without evidence,” she said.
A total of 115 journalists have been arrested by the military council since the February 2021 coup, and 39 were still in detention at the time of reporting, according to data compiled by journalists. Three media workers have died during interrogations or in fighting.
Myanmar has more detained journalists than any other country in the world, except China, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
Journalists and activists are frequently charged with violating 505a; the section was amended by military chief Min Aung Hlaing weeks after staging a coup and prohibits the spreading of false information, causing fear, or calling for action to be taken against government employees. It is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment.
At least 1,315 people have been detained under Section 505a, according to records compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Four journalists—from Kamayut Media, Mizzima, Mandalay Free Press, the Ayeyarwady Region-based Myanmar Herald—were given two-year prison sentences by junta courts for incitement in March alone.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 28, 2022
- Event Description
An engineering student who was maimed by soldiers while taking part in an anti-coup protest in Magway last year was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour on Monday.
Hlyan Phyo Aung, 23, had been charged with incitement under Section 505a of the Penal Code.
The sentence, which was handed down by judge Swe Aye Nyein at a special court inside Magway Prison, was the maximum for the alleged offence.
It comes almost exactly a year after Hlyan Phyo Aung was arrested during a protest in his hometown of Magway on March 27, 2021.
Immediately after his arrest, he was hospitalized to have his hand, which had been shot at close range by soldiers cracking down on the protest, amputated.
Two months later, he was transferred to Magway Prison, despite requiring treatment for an eye injury caused by the gunshot.
According to a source close to his family, Hlya Phyo Aung later lost the sight in his right eye and is now having trouble seeing through his left eye.
“He went completely blind in his right eye and now sees lines in his left eye. He says it’s just like static on TV. At least the blind eye is in stable condition. This is actually worse,” said the source, who did not want to be named for security reasons.
Hlyan Phyo Aung was one of 37 people arrested during the crackdown on the protest in Magway. Although 30 were later freed despite facing similar charges, he was repeatedly denied bail and excluded from a mass release last July.
“The family couldn’t even attend his court hearings. They just drove them away. They only got to see him from afar,” said the family friend.
It was only when they were called to testify on his behalf, nine months after his detention, that Hlyan Phyo Aung’s family was able to see him again, he added.
The friend also said that he had heard Hlyan Phyo Aung was being forced to harvest watercress inside the prison, and was having trouble receiving medications sent by his family.
Myanmar Now was unable to confirm this information.
Hlyan Phyo Aung was one of seven people—five men and two women—who received similar sentences inside Magway Prison on Monday.
No details were available about the other prisoners, only four of whom—Nyein Pyae Sone, Phyo Maung, Ye Moe Aung, and Saw Min Htet—could be identified by name at the time of reporting.
The underground National Unity Government has publicised Hlyan Phyo Aung’s treatment as part of plans to submit evidence against the regime to the International Criminal Court.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 27, 2022
- Event Description
The family of a 19-year-old activist from Mandalay is concerned for his well-being after being unable to contact him or obtain information on his condition or whereabouts since his arrest by junta forces on March 27.
Kyaw Swar Win, who also goes by the name Felix, was beaten and taken into military custody during a roadside inspection by troops in Amarapura Township, according to a friend.
The friend alleged that the military was attempting to track the teen’s contacts through his phone.
“He got arrested while getting his phone checked on the road. When I called him to remind him that we were meeting up, I only heard the voices of the soldiers who asked me where we were,” he told Myanmar Now. “They were trying to lure us to them.”
The friend said that he had heard that Kyaw Swar Win was being interrogated and passed out while being abused.
“His family is worried for his life,” he added.
“I heard that he even passed out during the interrogation and that he hasn’t come round properly. His family is also very worried for his life.”
Anti-dictatorship strike committees in Mandalay released a joint statement on Monday demanding that the military take full responsibility for any emotional or physical abuse Kyaw Swar Win was forced to endure.
Sources from the strike committees also said that three people, including protest leader Thura Aung, who were arrested in Maha Aungmyay Township in late January, were also held at an undisclosed location for two months without being transferred to Mandalay’s Obo Prison.
Myanmar Now was unable to obtain comment from the victim’s family or the military council.
Daily protests continue to occur in Mandalay after starting five days after the February 1, 2021 coup. The demonstrations have been met with violent crackdowns by the junta’s forces.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Initial Date
- Mar 25, 2022
- Event Description
The five villagers detained by soldiers on Sunday had not been formally arrested but were taken away for “re-education” because they had gathered others to stage a protest and cause disruptions, Phouvone said. “Thus, the officers had to assert their control and prevent more problems.”
Sources told RFA on Tuesday that the five now held are being questioned by military authorities, with no word given yet on when they may be released.
“The military will release them later, but they may still end up being held for a while,” a Naxaithong district official said. “Their families have asked the military for permission to visit and bring them some food, but their request was denied.
“The military officers haven’t said when they’re going to release the villagers. But some rumors say they might be freed sometime after the Lao New Year on April 15,” a district villager added.
Reached for comment, family members of some of those now held declined to speak about the case, fearing retaliation by authorities, while one family member was ordered on Monday to delete a video he had taken of the arrests.
An official of the People’s Council, meanwhile, said his office had received no reports of the conflict or arrests.
“A report may have been sent to the economic committee, though, because the conflict involves land,” he said.
Some of the families living on the 25-hectare area of land now claimed by the army had inherited the land from their parents even before the 1975 communist takeover of Laos, and had paid property taxes on the land ever since, another villager told RFA.
“The military says that the land belongs to the army, but everybody knows that the land belongs to the villagers,” the villager said, also speaking on condition of anonymity. “Before building anything, the military should at least have asked for approval from the village authorities, but in this case they began building things without any warning,” he said.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Mar 24, 2022
- Event Description
On March 24, the local Nam Dinh Provincial People’s Court held an appeal hearing for Vietnamese activist Do Nam Trung, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and four years of probation on charges of “distributing anti-state propaganda” last December under Article 117 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal code. The appeals court announced its decision on the same day, upholding Trung’s previous sentencing.
Do Nam Trung, 40, is an activist famous for his work on the promotion of freedom of expression, human rights, and democracy in Vietnam. His activism includes his participation in and calling for protests opposing China’s actions in the South China Sea, which resulted in his arrest and 14-month incarceration in 2014.
After being released from prison, the Nam Dinh-based activist continued his role as an activist, which included demanding the suspension of Taiwan-based Formosa Steel Plant’s operations following its environmental scandal, helping rescue people living in flooded and landslide-prone areas, calling for the boycott of corrupt toll booths, as well as working with victims of land confiscation in Vietnam and informing them about their rights.
Trung was also a frequent target of coordinated harassment from the government-backed army of cyber trolls. Trung’s Facebook account, which he used as a platform to report his activities, had been constantly under mass reporting by Vietnam’s online Force 47 and often resulted in a temporary suspension of his account.
According to Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, Trung’s partner, his parents and sister were able to enter the courthouse while she was not. The court insisted that only “family members” were allowed inside.
Previously, Tuyet wrote on her Facebook account that Do Nam Trung’s overall health remained stable and that his condition while in detention was acceptable. He also received full COVID-19 vaccinations, she added.
Prior to the Nam Dinh activist’s trial last year, rights advocate Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a press statement urged the Vietnamese authorities to “immediately release the human rights activist Do Nam Trung and drop all charges against him.”
“Do Nam Trung is the latest victim of Vietnamese government retaliation against citizens who refuse to remain silent in the face of injustice and rights abuses,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of HRW. “Global pressure on the Vietnamese government is needed to repeal this abusive criminal law that blatantly violates the right to free expression.”
Trung’s appeal hearing took place only one day after the Hanoi People’s Court tried independent journalist Le Van Dung. The court sentenced Dung to five years in jail and five years probation.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Mar 23, 2022
- Event Description
A court in Hanoi on Wednesday handed down sentences to a journalist and a relative who tried to hide him from authorities.
Le Van Dung, an activist and independent journalist who publishes to Facebook and YouTube, was sentenced to five years in prison and five years’ probation for “propaganda against the state.”
The court handed Dung’s 66-year-old uncle Nguyen Van Son an 18-month suspended sentence for helping the journalist hide from police.
Dung denies the charges, according to his lawyers and family.
Ha Huy Son, one of the lawyers representing Dung, described the court’s decision as an “unjust verdict, with no basis.” He added that they will appeal.
Dung, a 51-year-old journalist also known as Le Dung Vova, was arrested for his reporting in June 2021.
He posted videos and articles to social media about corruption and land confiscations, and commented on political and social issues.
An indictment cited by state media alleged that Dung “made and posted to the internet 12 video clips” between March 2017 and September 2018 that included propaganda against the state, defamed the government, spread false news, caused confusion, and were insulted the “honor and prestige of the Party and State leaders.”
Vietnam’s state-run radio Voice of Vietnam quoted part of Dung's statement to the court, in which he said it makes no sense to argue about the legal system in Vietnam.
His lawyer, Ha Huy Son, gave VOA the full statement.
In it, Dung said that the accusations against him have “no legal basis. It does not follow a standard or a rule. I am not guilty.”
A second lawyer, Dang Dinh Manh, wrote on Facebook after the trial that while Dung admitted posting content to social media, “he has consistently rejected the views that the statements in the clips are illegal.”
Dung’s wife, Bui Thi Hue, told VOA that she and his mother were not allowed to attend the trial, even though the court said it was “open to public.”
The Hanoi People’s Court did not immediately respond to VOA’s request for comments.
Human Rights Watch earlier said Vietnam should drop the charges and that Dung is one of more than 60 people being prosecuted for speaking out.
“Vietnamese authorities persist in treating any sort of criticism of the government as a grave threat to be prosecuted with long prison terms,” the rights group’s deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said on Tuesday.
“International donors and trade partners of Vietnam should press Hanoi to listen to its critics instead of persecuting them,” he added.
With limited space for independent reporting in Vietnam, many independent bloggers and journalists use social media to report or comment on sensitive issues.
The country has one of the worst records on the global press freedom index, ranking 175 out of 180 countries where 1 is freest. Accusations of propaganda against the state and abusing freedoms are regularly used to jail critics, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders says.
Many face lengthy sentences.
An activist arrested in July on propaganda charges lost his appeal against the sentencing on Thursday.
The appeals court in Nam Dinh province upheld a sentence of 10 years’ prison and four years’ probation for rights activist Do Nam Trung, his lawyer told VOA.
“This is an unjust judgment,” said the lawyer, Dang Dinh Manh. He added that under Vietnam’s penal code, violations of speech should be punished only under civil charges.
“Trung has held the view that his statements in his video clips and articles are exercising his right to freedom of speech as provided by the constitution, and therefore he believes that the verdict is wrong”, Manh said.
Trung, 40, was arrested on July 6, 2021, for posting six video clips that authorities said were “distorting content” and “defaming the government,” according to state-run media.
A court in December sentenced him to prison.
“Vietnam routinely prosecutes people for simply expressing their views critical of the government, making it one of the most dangerous countries in Southeast Asia to be a human rights activist,” said Robertson of Human Rights Watch.
“Authorities should immediately and unconditionally release [Trung] for speaking his mind about the government. Vietnam should also immediately repeal the rights-abusing charge of ‘propaganda against the state,’ which has been used so frequently to target government critics,” he added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Mar 22, 2022
- Event Description
Two citizen journalists have been charged with royal defamation and sedition for live broadcasting an event at Siam Paragon on 8 February 2022, in which activists conducted a poll on whether people think they face trouble from royal motorcades.
Worawet (last name withheld), who runs the Facebook page Free Our Friends, and Nui (pseudonym), who runs the YouTube channel “Sakdina Sua Daeng,” reported to Pathumwan Police Station yesterday (22 March) after receiving a summons on royal defamation and sedition charges under Sections 112 and 116 of the Thai Criminal Code.
In addition to the two charges, they were also charged with resisting officials and refusing to comply with an officer’s order.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that they were charged for participating in the activist group Thaluwang’s royal motorcade poll at Siam Paragon on 8 February. The inquiry officer said they were live broadcasting the event, and that participants in the poll were trying to push through a police blockade near Sa Prathum Palace. Nui was also accused of shouting profanities at police officers trying to take hold of a female activist and charged with insulting an official on duty.
According to TLHR, the inquiry officer did not say how their actions constitute an offense under Sections 112 and 116.
Despite reporting to the police after receiving a summons, the police took them to court for a temporary detention request, claiming that the investigation has not been concluded and that the police still need to interview 10 other witnesses and wait for their criminal record check.
The inquiry officer also opposed to granting them bail, claiming that they have “committed an offense” together with activist Tantawan Tuatulanon, and that they are likely to tamper with evidence or cause other damage, but did not say what exactly they meant by such actions.
The South Bangkok Criminal Court granted them bail on a security of 200,000 baht each and set the conditions that they do not repeat their offense in a manner that could damage the monarchy, join activities which can cause public disorder, or post on social media invitations to people to join protests. They must also wear electronic monitoring bracelets.
The 7 activists who conducted the poll, one of whom is 14 years old, have also been charged with royal defamation, sedition, and resisting arrest. TLHR said that, despite reporting to the police after receiving a summons, they were taken to court for a temporary detention request and were later released on bail.
The activists were set the conditions that they must not engage in activities which damage the monarchy, or post on social media invitations to people to participate in protests or activities that cause public disorder. They must also wear electronic monitoring bracelets and are not allowed to leave the country without court permission.
TLHR reported yesterday (22 March) that the police have filed a request with the court to revoke the bail for Baipor and Netiporn, two activists charged for the royal motorcade poll, but it is unclear what they are using as grounds for bail revocation. Their bail hearing has been scheduled for 19 April 2022.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Mar 22, 2022
- Event Description
Authorities in Phnom Penh again rounded up more than 100 striking NagaWorld Casino workers Tuesday, in the latest in a series of brutal mass arrests since the strike started more than three months ago.
Hundreds of security forces violently pushed about 140 striking workers onto 140 buses as they attempted to demonstrate near the casino to demand it reinstate laid-off workers and recognize their union.
“The authorities rushed in with anger,” An SreyPe, who was among the protesters, told RFA’s Khmer Service. “They assaulted and cursed the women among us, but our demands continue to be the same. We will protest until we have a solution.”
An SreyPe said she was injured when the authorities pushed her against the bus and her leg was caught in the door. They also sexually assaulted her in the process, she said, but did not elaborate.
Another protester said that the authorities used excessive force and confirmed they were specifically targeting women.
“Their punches are not meant to prevent a protest. They intended to hurt us,” said Srey No. Authorities hit her in the face during the crackdown and she suffered black eyes. “I am sad. We are only fighting for our livelihoods.”
Thousands of NagaWorld workers walked off their jobs in mid-December, demanding higher wages and the reinstatement of eight jailed union leaders, three other jailed workers and 365 others they say were unjustly fired from the hotel and casino, which is owned by a Hong Kong-based company believed to have connections to family members of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Cambodian authorities have called the strike “illegal” and alleged that it is supported by foreign donors as a plot to topple the government. But a series of mass arrests in recent weeks have been attributed to alleged violations of pandemic health regulations in Cambodia’s capital. Activists said the charges were trumped up to break up the strike.
The eight union leaders have since been released on bail but still face charges.
Authorities on Tuesday forced the 140 workers into buses around 2 p.m. and drove them around Cambodia’s capital, preventing them from leaving the buses. The workers were finally released around 6 p.m. on the outskirts of the city.
In previous arrests, the strikers were taken to quarantine facilities in Phnom Penh or its suburbs.
RFA was unable to reach Phnom Penh police spokesman San Sok Seiha for comment Tuesday.
The workers are continuing to protest because there has been no solution, Am Sam Ath of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights told RFA.
“Our concern is that because there is no solution, the workers will continue their protest and more arrests will be made,” he said.
The union and the casino will meet Wednesday for talks. The Ministry of Labor urged parties to file complaints to the court if there is no solution.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Mar 22, 2022
- Event Description
A video report alleging a Battambang timber factory was illegally processing luxury wood has landed a local journalist in court.
Lim Phally, a reporter for Los Seng News, said he had asked for a delay for court questioning that was scheduled today.
He was sued after a livestream report from January 16 about a local businessman he claims was trafficking timber, he said.
“We saw him actively transporting timber in and out of Battambang every day. When our reporters went to cover it, he complained against us, accusing us of defamation and disseminating [false] information — even though I have documents, videos and photos of him carrying wood.”
The January 16 video shows Phally going to video the businessman’s wood processing factory and commenting that luxury wood was found in the factory, and that it was illegal, calling for an investigation.
“This machine is legal only for local wood,” he says in the video, claiming the luxury wood was imported.
Battambang provincial forestry department director Chhim Vachira said the factory was licensed and had been inspected.
All the wood transported to the factory had a valid permit, Vachira said.
“Without being legal, they would not be able to run. So in my opinion, if it was not legal, it would not be possible to be open in the center of the city.”
Provincial court spokesperson Duong Savorn could not be reached for comment.
The Cambodian Journalists Alliance says in its latest monitoring report that 93 journalists faced harassment in 51 incidents last year. Thirty-two journalists were arrested and 10 faced other legal action, the report says.
The government, meanwhile, has complained of the dissemination of false information that could disrupt social order or hurt Cambodia’s reputation.
Los Seng News is also facing court action in Kampot province after its reporters covered a land dispute, while the outlet’s publisher, Los Seng, last year said he was facing pressure from officials over covering the at-times violent land dispute in Kandal province related to Phnom Penh’s new under-construction international airport.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Agricultural business
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 21, 2022
- Event Description
According to the International Press Institute, Hanthar Nyein was sentenced on March 21 in a military-run court inside Yangon’s Insein Prison. The court charged the journalist for incitement under Section 505(A) of the Myanmar Penal Code.
On March 22, Than Htike Aung was handed the same charge, but was sentenced in Dekkhina District Court in Naypyitaw, Myanmar's capital. Section 505(A) of Myanmar’s Penal Code criminalises the circulation of any information that is deemed “false news” against the military regime. Both journalists pleaded not guilty.
Radio Free Asia reported that Ye Yint Tun, a reporter for the Myanmar Herald, was also sentenced for two years on March 23 under Sections 505(A) and 505(B) of the Penal Code.
The sentencing of the three journalists comes one year after their original arrests. Hanthar Nyein, co-founder of Kamayut Media, was arrested on March 9, 2021, during a military raid of the news outlet’s office in Yangon.
“They said Kamayut Media had incited riots and rallied people to protest. However, Hanthar Nyein appealed to them that he had just reported the news in accordance with journalistic ethics,” Hanthar Nyein’s lawyer said.
Than Htike Aung, a news editor affiliated with independent media outlet Mizzima, was arrested on March 19, 2021, in Naypyitaw whilst reporting on a court hearing. Authorities arrested Ye Yint Tun on February 28, 2021, whilst he was covering a protest in Pathein.
Section 505(A) of the Penal Code has been heavily criticised in Myanmar, with activists arguing that it is a “legal catch-all for bringing criminal charges against a broad range of individuals deemed to pose a challenge to the military regime”, and thus justifies the arbitrary arrest of journalists.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Mar 21, 2022
- Event Description
Often highlighting the alleged illegal mining of PT. Rajawali and CS8 along with the alleged involvement of police officers, activists in Southeast Sulawesi were terrorized by unknown people (OTK)
It is known that the company is not registered with MODI ESDM and does not have an IPPKH, in fact the Southeast Sulawesi Forestry Service Signpost has been installed which explains that the area is included in a forest area and the KLHK Gakum Sign and Tipidter Police Headquarters regarding the prohibition of activities in the area.
One of the activists who is the Chairman of the Mining Circle Network (JLP) Wawan Soneangkano who often highlights companies operating in the Marombo Block, Lasolo District, North Konawe Regency several times has received terror from the autocrats.
"We suspect the company and its backers are uncomfortable with our spotlight, so some people who are suspected to be company people terrorize over the phone," he said.
Wawan also explained that the terror had worsened after he previously filed a complaint regarding the alleged involvement of SGT police officers in the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police.
"On March 21, 2022, at 18:32 to be exact, I got a call from one of the people claiming to be part of the company that I complained to at the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police as well as a member of the police who I complained about in a conspiracy alleged to be illegal mining, namely CPT as the main director and SGT Police Officer. During the conversation, the person claiming to be from the company used language to warn me to be careful, and said that I should stop investigating the alleged Illegal Mining of PT. CS8 which does not have that IUP. If not I will report back. Even the person who claimed to be from the company said he would meet me at the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police so that I could no longer go home or go straight to prison. After that the phone died. After the phone died, I tried to search for the number through the application. And after that, I also found out that the person who had just finished calling me was named Pak Dydit,” he explained.
He also regrets his complaint regarding the alleged illegal mining of PT. Rajawali and CS8, which have entered their third month, have not made any progress, and for this reason, they will complain to the Criminal Investigation Unit at the National Police Headquarters.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Mar 18, 2022
- Event Description
After months of near-daily striking, negotiations resumed in the NagaWorld labor dispute on Friday, though workers said little progress was made.
The Labor Ministry hosted worker representatives and the casino corporation for negotiations on Friday, a potential step towards ending the stalemate in the long-running dispute. The meeting came after 11 union leaders and workers were released from prison on bail this week to facilitate the negotiations.
Sun Sreypich, one of the worker representatives, said there were “no good results” to report from the meeting and that the ministry was focused on ensuring “unity” as negotiations proceeded.
“Today we don’t have positive results yet but the ministry is preparing the next meeting, at which point we should resolve problems,” she said.
Chhim Sithar, the union’s president who also attended the meeting, said the ministry only laid out the dispute resolution procedures, including the arbitration process.
The meeting would resume on Monday, Sithar said, and the ministry wanted to focus on a ruling by the Arbitration Council, but that workers would continue to push for reinstatement and dropping of charges against union leaders and members.
“If we do not drop the charges, we cannot accept that. This is our position that the ministry addresses these points,” she said.
Last year, the Arbitration Council refused to rule on the mass layoff of more than 1,300 workers, and had punted the decision to the Labor Ministry’s inspectorate. The council only directed the casino to correctly calculate seniority pay, unused annual leave and indemnity payments.
Early on in the strike, workers said a NagaCorp representative had suggested the company’s board of directors would consider reinstatement demands from around 300 workers who were holding out from accepting compensation packages to return to their jobs.
The Labor Ministry released a statement Friday evening, suggesting that the parties hold three meetings to resolve the dispute. The statement adds that the union requested that charges against the 11 released workers be dropped and to consider the reinstatement of fired workers, whereas NagaWorld said they regretted that the protests were continuing even though union leaders had said they would ask workers to end their strike action.
The 11 union leaders and workers had signed letters, released earlier this week, asking for bail and asking other workers to end the protests to facilitate negotiations. Protesters have refused to comply with their leaders’ requests so far.
Labor Ministry spokesperson Heng Sour pointed to the statement when asked for comment on Friday.
Even as the negotiations were taking place, more than 100 protesters were again rounded up from outside the NagaWorld casino and taken to the new Freedom Park in Russei Keo district and kept in public buses for over four hours. Workers were still being held in the buses as of 7 p.m.
Tim Satya, one of the workers, said they didn’t know why the buses had stopped at Freedom Park or why workers weren’t allowed to disembark. Until Friday, protesters appearing near the casino had been bused to a quarantine center in Prek Pnov instead.
“We haven’t gotten off the bus. We are on the bus and standing and screaming from the bus,” she said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of association, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 18, 2022
- Event Description
The All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) confirmed that three of their Mandalay-based members were charged last Friday by the junta with violating Myanmar’s counterterrorism law.
The individuals, who were arrested on March 2 in Amarapura Township, include Aung Myo Ko, chair of the student union at the Mandalay Education College; Thiri Yadanar, upper Myanmar secretary of the ABFSU; and Kyaw Zin Latt, a middle school teacher from Singu Township.
ABFSU chair Aung Pyae Sone Phyo said that the activists had been helping families of detained students send care packages to their loved ones in prison.
“They were actually a part of the democratic movement before but they stopped doing that. They just focused on sending care packages to the detained students and helping the detained students contact their families in distant places,” he told Myanmar Now.
The three detainees—all in their 20s—have been held at the township police station since their arrest, and were formally accused on March 18 of violating Section 50j of the counterterrorism law for funding “terrorist” organisations. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, Aung Pyae Sone Phyo told Myanmar Now.
A second charge was also added to their cases for being alleged accessories to terrorist acts, as is outlined under Section 52a of the law, and carries a seven-year sentence.
The three student activists are also reportedly being investigated for incitement charges under Section 505a of the Penal Code, but Aung Pyae Sone Phyo noted that the final charge had not yet been formally filed.
“[The military] started by arresting protesters on the streets and now they’re arresting people who are helping the detained civilians. They clearly want to instill fear into the people so that they don’t dare to revolt,” the ABFSU chair said.
The military council has not released any information on the charges allegedly brought against the student activists.
Protests have continued in Mandalay more than one year after the military coup in February 2021. The junta continues to make frequent arrests of dissidents in the region, questioning civilians in public, and sealing off houses belonging to anti-dictatorship figures.
“They are going to decimate each and every one of their opponents. That is why we have been revolting against the junta from the time of Ne Win until Min Aung Hlaing,” Aung Pyae Sone Phyo said, referring to the military leader who seized power in a 1962 coup and the current army chief.
“It’s also essential that we, the people, hold our heads high and keep fighting back,” he added.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Myanmar: two pro-democracy students, a teacher arrested
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 18, 2022
- Event Description
A peasant youth organizer was arrested by soldiers in Quezon province, March 18.
Carlo Reduta, a member of the peasant organization Coco Levy Funds Ibalik sa Amin (CLAIM Quezon), was arrested by elements of the Philippine Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion at barangay Cawayan, Gumaca, Quezon province while engaged in field work with the local farmers in the area. He was charged with violations of Section 4 of the Anti-Terror Act, murder and frustrated murder and is currently detained at the Gumaca Munipical Police Station, according to Karapatan-Southern Tagalog.
Section 4 of the Anti-Terror Act defines acts of terrorism, which implicitly includes “advocacy, protest, [and] dissent” which are intended to “cause death or serious physical harm to a person, … endanger a person’s life, or … create a serious risk to public safety.”
Reduta comes from a family of coconut farmers and peasant organizers. According to human rights watchdog Karapatan Southern Tagalog, the Redutas have “a long history of being victims of state terrorism, surveillance, and harassment from the military.”
Reduta’s father Maximo is a longtime political prisoner who died due to illnesses last 2021. Maximo passed away at the Gumaca District Jail without seeing freedom. He was the third political prisoner from the Southern Tagalog region to die while imprisoned under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
Carlo also has a brother who faced similar charges. According to Karapatan ST, those charges were eventually dismissed.
Under CLAIM Quezon, the Reduta family pushed for the rights of coconut farmers in the province, including the return of the coco levy funds stolen by the Marcos dictatorship and its cronies during Martial Law. As of 2021, these funds now amount to some P75 billion.
The coconut industry remains an important part of agricultural life in Quezon and a major source of export income for the Philippines – in 2017, total exports from the industry amounted to over 70 percent of coconut production and were worth over 1.5 trillion USD.
Despite this, however, attacks against coconut farmers and CLAIM members in particular have intensified under the Duterte administration. Last March 6, CLAIM member Felizardo Repaso and his wife received threats and repeated harassment from military units, including surveillance and visits to their home in Atimonan.
Last August 30, 2021, at least 50 CLAIM members were forced to ‘surrender’ as members of the New People’s Army in a ceremony headed by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), an inter-agency task force and the centerpiece of the Duterte administration’s “whole-of-nation approach” in attempting to solve the over five decades’ long revolutionary war waged by the Communist Party of the Philippines.
In November 2020, CLAIM General Luna chapter President Armando Buisan was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen in a hit and run operation. The Philippine Army’s 201st Infantry Battalion claimed that Buisan was an “NPA supporter” and a member of the NPA’s “milisyang bayan” (people’s militia).
Given the Reduta family’s history of encounters with the police and military, Karapatan ST said that they are “deeply worried about Carlo’s condition, especially the threat of mental torture, harassment, and repeated jail transfers in an attempt to ensure that the family doesn’t see him while he is under police custody.”
Both Karapatan ST and the Reduta family maintain that the charges against Carlo are “trumped up.” Karapatan ST is calling for Reduta’s immediate release and the junking of the Anti-Terror Law.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Mar 18, 2022
- Event Description
A Lumad council leader was arrested by state forces last March 18, Friday.
In a statement, the Save Our Schools Network said that Lumad leader Edwin Oribawan Sr. was arrested by combined forces of the Philippine National Police and the 72nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army at 4:00 a.m. in sitio Aguila, Kabalantian, Arakan, North Cotabato.
The group said authorities forcibly entered the residence of Oribawan, threatening his daughter and two other children.
“They held them at gunpoint while asking about their father’s whereabouts. At 5:00 a.m., elements of the 72nd IBPA illegally arrested and handcuffed Oribawan. The elements of the PNP and 72nd IBPA planted bullets in order to prove their allegations,” the SOS Network said.
Oribawan was then brought to the Arakan Police Station and was reportedly charged with attempted murder, rebellion, and use of illegal drugs.
SOS said Oribawan was also instrumental in the establishment of the Mindanao Interfaith School Foundation, Inc. (MISFI) in Arakan, North Cotabato and was part of its Parents Teachers and Community Association (PTCA).
This was also not the first time that Oribawan was falsely accused by the authorities. In 2017, the SOS Network said he was falsely implicated in an ambush in sitio Gambodes.
The group condemned the illegal arrest of Oribawan.
“We also urge everyone to stand with us in condemning the intensified attacks on Lumad schools and communities,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Mar 18, 2022
- Event Description
Human rights groups the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), and 23 organisations condemn the judicial harassment of human rights defenders Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti.
‘We call on the police to put an end to the judicial harassment of Fatia and Haris for sharing the research conducted by civil society. The Indonesian government must fulfill its human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its Constitution that safeguards freedom of expression and opinion,’ FORUM-ASIA said.
On 18 March, Fatia and Haris were named suspects in an alleged defamation case filed by Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, after they revealed the Minister’s controversial involvement in business operations in the gold mining sector in Papua Province’s Intan Jaya Regency[1]. The following day, Fatia and Haris were summoned by the police for questioning.
Luhut filed a criminal and civil lawsuit for IDR 100 billion (USD 7 million) against the human rights activists last year, which stemmed from an investigative report Haris posted on YouTube, mentioning Luhut. The Minister cited the Electronic Information and Transaction Law, an ambiguous law that criminalises free speech in the country.
The report divulged that Luhut was affiliated with PT Madinah Qurrata’ain, a mining company, which holds the Derewo River Gold Project in Intan Jaya Regency. Luhut is a shareholder of PT Toba Sejahtera, whose subsidiary PT Tobacom Del Mandiri or PT Tambang Raya Sejahtra is said to have acquired a 30 per cent stake in PT Madinah Qurrata’ain[2]. Intan Jaya Regency is a conflict-ridden area in Papu. Frequent clashes between the Indonesian security forces and armed groups in the area have resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians and displaced thousands of residents.
Given this alarming development, it is likely that an arrest warrant could be issued against Fatia and Haris at any time. This is not the first time Fatia and Haris were targeted by state forces over charges filed by Luhut. Early this year, police officers arrived to fetch Fatia and Haris at their respective houses for interrogation[3]. FORUM-ASIA and many organisations denounced Luhut’s judicial harassment of Fatia and Haris, which clearly aimed to silence the activists.
The plight of Fatia and Haris highlights the country’s trend of repressing human rights defenders for holding public servants accountable within Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s government. Last August, Presidential Office Chief of Staff Moeldoko filed a defamation complaint against two activists of the Indonesian Corruption Watch for exposing Moeldoko’s involvement in racketeering the government’s Ivermectin rollout and rice export program.[4]
‘We urge the Indonesian government to immediately drop the charges against Fatia, Haris, and other activists and cease any efforts by public officials to criminalise the fair criticisms of human rights defenders and civil society organisations. Cases like these further erode the country’s civic space landscape and deteriorate the country’s compliance with international human rights standards. Despite these threats, we will continue to monitor the performance of public officials and call them out for their wrongdoings,’ said the groups.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Mar 17, 2022
- Event Description
A 19-year-old man in Ubon Ratchathani said he received on 17 March 2022 a summons on a royal defamation charge, possibly for a protest sign he used during a protest on 15 August 2021.
Kittipon Thaingamsil said two plainclothes officers came to his home to deliver a summons from Muang Ubon Ratchathani Police Station on a royal defamation charge ordering him to report to the police station on 24 March 2022.
Kittipon told Prachatai that he believes he has been charged because he posted a picture of himself standing in front of a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn while holding a sign saying “I’m starving during the reign of King Rama X” and a flag with three lines symbolizing the three-finger salute, a recognized symbol of the pro-democracy movement, during a “car mob” protest on 15 August 2021 in Ubon Ratchathani. He said he has no hidden agenda but was only expressing his living conditions at the time.
The 19-year-old has a vocational certificate in computer graphic design. He is currently unemployed and lives with his grandmother and sister.
Kittipon said he joined several protests in Ubon Ratchathani, including the Stand Against Detention protests to demand the release of detained activists. He was previously charged with violation of the Emergency Decree for participating in a “car mob” protest on 1 August 2021, and with violation of the Traffic Act, the Sound Amplifier Act, and the Communicable Diseases Act for participating in the 15 August 2021 protest.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 182 people have been charged with royal defamation under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code for their political expression since November 2020. Many activists are also facing several counts of the charge, such as Parit Chiwarak, who is facing 23 counts; Anon Nampa, 14 counts; Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, 10 counts, Panupong Jadnok, 9 counts; and Benja Apan, 7 counts.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Mar 17, 2022
- Event Description
Bui Van Thuan’s wife received a letter from him for the first time since he was arrested on August 30 last year. Thuan said he’d had two shots of the Pfizer vaccine and was in generally good health due to regular exercise. But since last October he’s been having joint pains that doctors have looked at but couldn’t do anything about. Thus every 10 days or so he needs to take antibiotics and pain medication.
Later in the month, Trinh Nhung, Thuan’s wife, received a summons from the Thanh Hoa Police Department in order to discuss details related to the case of Bui Van Thuan, who allegedly stored documents and “items that oppose the state” on his computer.
Mr Thuan was arrested since Aug 2021. Since then, his wife Mrs Trinh Thi Nhung continued to update about his situation on social media and lodge grievance letters to authorities to demand that his rights are protected.
On 17 Mar [2022], Mrs Nhung was summoned by Thanh Hoa province police investigation bureau. In this working session, the police threatened her for fighting for her husband's rights.
Talking to RFA Viet, Mrs Nhung said:
'The investigators told me I should cut down on publishing articles about my husband on the net, they can arrest me any time, they said they had good basis to arrest me. They said I should not publish my police summon on the net, it was not a right thing nor a good thing for me to do.'
She said investigators had asked leading questions to her many times in the working session. They wanted her to confirm her husband's Fb account and her own Fb account, she refused and was again threatened of arrest.
'[Investigators] told me, for me to refuse to provide my private information and my husband's information meant I wasn't cooperative, they could arrest me for not cooperating with the investigation office.'
Before his arrest, Mr Thuan was known for his reports and comments about officials' power game with biting humour. Since his arrest, his family hasn't been allowed to contact him.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Mar 16, 2022
- Event Description
Cambodian police on Wednesday arrested around 200 workers striking outside the NagaWorld casino in Phnom Penh, crowding them into buses for transport to a COVID-19 quarantine center outside the city, Cambodian sources said.
Hundreds of officers both in uniform and plain clothes used force against the workers, who were still being held at the center as of 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday, sources said.
“The strikers were physically abused by the authorities, who also took our cell phones,” one worker named Chantha told RFA, saying city authorities are siding with the NagaWorld company to prevent striking workers from entering casino buildings.
NagaWorld workers will continue their protests until their union is recognized and solutions are found to the now months-long labor dispute, she said.
Wednesday’s arrests follow the release on bail on Monday of eight union leaders and members, with three others still held in detention and workers vowing to continue an online campaign demanding that charges against all 11 be dropped, sources said.
Thousands of NagaWorld workers walked off their jobs in mid-December demanding higher wages and the reinstatement of 365 workers they say were unjustly fired from the casino and hotel, which is owned by a Hong Kong-based company believed to have connections to family members of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Chhim Sithar, leader of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld, and seven colleagues were later arrested and charged with inciting social unrest, with Cambodian authorities calling the strike illegal and part of a plot promoted by foreign donors to topple the government.
Speaking to RFA in an interview on Wednesday, Chhim Sithar said that she and the others released on Monday have called for striking workers to be allowed to return to work and are urging those laid off to remain at home until a legal settlement of their status is in place.
These statements show a softening of the union’s stance, she said. “We have made a lot of concessions, especially by asking the workers to return to work. There should be some benefit on all sides.”
Asked why the striking workers had continued their protest on Wednesday in spite of the union’s call for them to return, Chhim Sithar said the NagaWorld workers were free to make their own decisions without union interference.
Chhim Sithar denounced as “fake” another labor union recently established by NagaWorld, saying casino owners have consistently opposed the independent representation of workers’ rights.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor meanwhile said on Wednesday that a previously missed meeting with workers’ representatives to help resolve the labor dispute would now be held on Thursday.
Also speaking to RFA, Am Sam Ath — deputy director of the Phnom Penh-based Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights — said that the striking NagaWorld workers have continued their protest because they feel their dispute with the casino can never be resolved while three of their union representatives are still detained.
“The court should drop all charges against the workers’ representatives so they are able to represent the workers during talks,” he said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of association, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Mar 15, 2022
- Event Description
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on Cambodia’s information ministry to immediately restore the licences it withdrew from three online media outlets for alleged ethical violations after they covered corruption cases. The ministry failed to follow procedure when it revoked the licences and its accusations are spurious, RSF says.
With no prior warning and no possibility of appeal, the three news outlets – Bayong Times, Khmer Cover TV (KCTV) and Cambodia Today – learned that their licences had been rescinded in a letter issued by the information ministry on 15 March accusing them of violating journalistic ethics and their contracts with the ministry.
By way of ethical violations, what the three news sites have in common is having recently published investigative stories about the rampant corruption within Cambodia’s political and economic elites.
Cambodia Today editor Touch Yuthea told RSF he suspected that the withdrawal of his licence was a “personal decision by senior ministry officials in charge of licences” in response to a story about a corrupt contract bidding process at the labour ministry.
Brazen intimidation
“The decision to revoke the licences of Bayong Times, Cambodia Today and KCTV is a gross violation of the freedom of publication as enshrined in article 41 of Cambodia’s constitution,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “This is brazen intimidation, and we call on the government to immediately restore the publication licences to these three outlets. Press freedom must not be the collateral victim of the actions of a few corrupt officials.”
Bayong Times publisher Tel Samuth told RSF: “I think cancelling these media outlets will serve to scare many other outlets into ceasing to report the truth.” He added that the information ministry had also violated standard procedure by failing to issue at least two warnings and enter into negotiations before revoking the licences – the procedure established in article 10 of the press law.
When reached by RSF, information minister Khieu Kanharith’s office refused to make any comment. Meanwhile, the ministry has reportedly told the editors of the three publications that they could recover their licences if they “correct” their articles and delete certain content.
Last October, RSF accused the defence minister of abusing his authority by ordering officials to “punish” provincial website operator Youn Chhiv for publishing an investigative report about illegal land seizures. He was sentenced to a year in prison just two days after his arrest.
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government embarked on an unrelenting offensive against independent media outlets in 2017 in order to maintain its grip on power, as RSF detailed in a report published in February 2018.
Cambodia is ranked 144th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2021 World Press Freedom Index.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Mar 15, 2022
- Event Description
Members of student press organisation LPM Lintas, at the State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Ambon, have faced ongoing threats and intimation after publishing an investigative story on sexual harassment. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia, urge the university’s executive to end all forms of intimidation against the student journalists and respect press freedom.
On March 14, LPM Lintas published an investigative story on sexual harassment at the university from 2015 to 2021, in an article titled ‘IAIN Ambon prone to sexual harassment’. The piece gathered the stories of 32 victims of sexual assault, including 25 females and seven males, and mentioned allegations of sexual offences involving lecturers, staff, students, and alumni.
Following the publication, on March 15, Nurdin Kaisupy, a student journalist who was a part of the investigative team, and Muh. Febrianto, a layout designer, were punched at the LPM Lintas office on March 15, by assailants suspected of being family members of a lecturer. The assailants also smashed the office’s windows. Police investigation on the assault had slow progress.
IAIN Ambon, located in the capital city of the Maluku province, also discontinued LPM Lintas’ activities after the university failed to verify all information relating to the piece in a meeting with the student journalists. The university accused the students of publishing false information and said it would change the structure of LPM Lintas to include those willing to ‘cooperate with the university and protect its reputation’.
The university also reported nine student journalists to the police, who received summon letters in May asking them to appear before the police for ‘clarification’. Intimidation and harassment against the student journalists is ongoing, with some students allegedly facing prejudice at the university since the investigative story was published.
The Indonesian Press Council published an assessment and stated that the investigative story by LPM Lintas should be awarded as it was in the public interest. Many universities in Indonesia have not taken firm action following reports of sexual harassment in the past.
- Impact of Event
- 11
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Mar 14, 2022
- Event Description
Thugs with steel pipes attacked members of the Yao ethnic minority community in Vietnam’s Lao Cai province on Monday as they protested the construction of a hydropower plant they said would block the water source they rely on for salmon farming.
Residents are trying to block construction of the project because they say it has contaminated water on a nearby spring, killing their fish, and Vietnamese project developer May Ho Energy Company Ltd. has not offered inadequate compensation to cover their losses.
“The company has been carrying out the construction work without paying [enough] compensation to local residents,” a resident surnamed Lo told RFA by text message.
But when members of the Dao Do (Red Yao) community gathered to stop work on the plant in a hamlet of Sa Pa town, the company hired thugs to “suppress them,” Lo said.
“Being beaten, the residents had to resist,” he said. “Because the thugs all used steel tubes, the residents had to pick up bricks [to throw] to fight back.”
A video shot by a protester shows dozens of people in plainclothes with steel tubes approach and attack local residents who had gathered peacefully.
The incident quickly escalated and turned into a clash when the locals fought back.
Vuong Trinh Quoc, who is the chairman of the town’s People’s Committee, told state media that locals assaulted construction workers, leaving eight workers injured.
Many residents, including Lo, denied the report and said they were not the instigators. He expressed anger about the incident on social media after seeing Quoc’s statement in the media.
Another resident who gave her name as May also said that those who had assaulted locals were thugs hired to attack them.
RFA could not reach Quoc for comment, but later contacted Pham Tien Dung, vice chairman of the town’s People’s Committee, who said he was not authorized to speak with the media about the incident.
RFA could not reach the local representative of the May Ho Energy Company for comment, despite making several calls.
The private company registered in April 2017 received a project license for construction of the hydropower plant in May 2021. Building work began the following month.
The project falls under a category that allows the state to appropriate land for the purpose of national development, according to a report by state-run Vietnam News Agency.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Mar 11, 2022
- Event Description
Authorities in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh again detained more than 100 striking NagaWorld Casino workers Friday, in the latest in a series of brutal mass arrests since the strike started more than three months ago.
Some of the 158 strikers who were detained this time told RFA’s Khmer Service that they were forced into buses and taken to a quarantine facility on the outskirts of town but were not allowed to leave the buses for several hours, enduring extreme heat until the point that some of them began to vomit.
“It was awful. We are just workers. They used such brutal measures. The authorities pushed me into a truck and my arm was injured when they detained me,” Pov Raksmey told RFA.
Lay Sopheaktra, another detained worker, told RFA that she felt the authorities wanted to torture the workers so that they would not dare to gather for more protests.
“I am very sad that we are protesting for our jobs, but the authorities are denying our rights and assaulting us,” she said.
Thousands of NagaWorld workers walked off their jobs in mid-December, demanding higher wages and the reinstatement of eight jailed union leaders, three other jailed workers and 365 others they say were unjustly fired from the hotel and casino, which is owned by a Hong Kong-based company believed to have connections to family members of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Cambodian authorities have called the strike “illegal” and alleged that it is supported by foreign donors as a plot to topple the government. But a series of mass arrests in recent weeks have been attributed to alleged violations of pandemic health regulations in Cambodia’s capital. Activists said the charges were trumped up to break up the strike.
RFA reported Wednesday that 147 of the fired workers accepted compensation, but the remaining strikers are still calling for their union leaders to be released and for the company to negotiate with them.
RFA attempted to reach Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesman San Sok Seiha for comment about Friday’s arrests, but he was not available.
A Cambodian labor advocacy group told RFA that the authorities have used similar tactics to break up peaceful protests.
“The authorities and NagaWorld Casino need to seek a solution. If they continue violence, the crisis will be deepened,” said Khun Tharo, the labor program manager for Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights
He urged the Ministry of Labor to intervene the release of 11 union leaders and workers who are being jailed to allow the workers and the NagaWorld to resume talks.
The workers arrested Friday said authorities released them from the quarantine center after detaining them without medical attentions for a few hours. They said they will continue their fight if there is no solution.
RFA reported Tuesday that Cambodia’s Minister of Interior Sar Kheng was planning to lead a meeting of governmental officials on Wednesday to resolve the dispute.
Also on Wednesday, Phnom Penh authorities released around 200 strikers detained a day earlier while they were protesting.
On Thursday, an appeals court denied bail to the eight union leaders on the grounds that their case is still under investigation by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Mar 11, 2022
- Event Description
Hari ke empat aksi unjuk rasa (demo) buruh PT Wahana Graha Makmur (WGM) di Kantor Unit Pelaksana Tekhnis (UPT) Pengawasan Wilayah III Dinas Tenaga Kerja (Disnaker) Sumatera Utara di Jalan Adam Malik, Kota Siantar, dibubarkan aparat kepolisian secara paksa, Jumat (11/03/2022).
Aksi pembubaran paksa oleh aparat Polres Siantar dibantu personil Sat Pol PP Pemko Siantar dan TNI tersebut, sebabkan sejumlah bayi dan anak dibawah umur menjadi korban.
Meski tidak ada terpantau bayi dan anak dibawah umur dari Kabupaten Dairi tersebut alami kekerasan secara fisik, namun mental anak-anak tersebut dikhawatirkan terganggu.
Sebab, sejumlah bayi dan anak dibawa umur tersebut harus menyaksikan kekerasan, berupa pembubaran secara paksa. Dimana, beberapa pengunjukrasa ditarik, digotong dan diseret.
Serta, para anak tak berdosa itu, juga dipaksa untuk menyaksikan pengunjuk rasa (juga orang tua mereka) melakukan upaya perlawanan. Baik dengan suara, maupun rontahan.
Suara tangisan bayi dan anak terdengar lirih, diantara teriakan marah dan suara tangisan pengunjuk rasa, maupun suara tegas berupa perintah dari sejumlah oknum perwira polisi kepada anggotanya.
Bahkan, disaat aksi tarik-menarik antara aparat dengan pengunjukrasa berlangsung, seorang anak berusia sekira 2 tahun, nyaris terinjak.
Aparat Polres Siantar bersama Sat Pol PP dan TNI membubarkan aksi warga Dairi di Kota Siantar, agar pengunjuk rasa dapat dipulangkan ke Dairi. Sehingga tidak lagi melanjutkan aksi menginap di Kantor UPT Pengawasan Wilayah III Disnaker Sumatera Utara.
Sebelum dibubarkan, secara bergantian Kabag Ops Polres Siantar Kompol Lamin, perwakilan UPT Pengawasan Wilayah III Disnker Sumut Ardiles Silitonga, Ketua Lembaga Perlindungan Anak Siantar Simalungun Ida Halanita Damanik, dan perwakilan Disnaker Dairi memberikan pemahaman dan informasi kepada pendemo.
Saat itu, Ardiles Silitonga menyampaikan penolakan PT WGM untuk menjalankan penetapan dari Kepala UPT Pengawasan Wilayah III Disnaker Sumut Bangun Hutagalung, dengan sejumlah alasan.
Penetapan itu sendiri, ungkap Ardiles, sudah dua kali dilakukan UPT Pengawasan Wilayah III Disnaker Sumut. Penetapan kedua, tenggang waktunya akan berakhir pada 21 Maret 2022.
Sebut Ardiles, bila penetapan tidak dilaksanakan PT WGM, maka sengketa buruh dan pengusaha PT WGM akan dibawa ke ranah hukum, dengan meminta Penyidik PNS (PPNS) Disnaker Sumut untuk menggelar penyidikan.
Sementara itu Kapolres Kota Siantar AKBP Sutan Boy Binanga Siregar mengatakan, aksi unjuk rasa buruh PT WGM di Siantar dilakukan tanpa pemberitahuan ke Polres Siantar dan kepada Satgas Penanganan Covid-19 Kota Siantar.
Tindakan kepolisian terhadap pengunjukrasa, menurut Boy Sutan Binanga sudah dipertimbangkan, dan telah sesuai dengan ketentuan peraturan.
“Yang kami lakukan sudah kita pertimbangkan, sesuaikan dengan aturan. Ya, bahwa mereka datang ke Pematangsiantar ini pun, tidak ada melakukan ataupun melaporkan kepada kepolisian maupun Satgas Covid untuk datang kesini melakukan demo atau pun menginap,” ucap Boy Sutan Binanga.
Sehingga, lanjut Boy Sutan Binanga, polisi pun melakukan upaya memulangkan pengunjukrasa ke Dairi. Hal itu mengingat, Kota Siantar saat ini sedang diterapkan PPKM Level 3.
“Kami melakukan upaya-upaya sesuai dengan prosedur. Bahwa saudar-saudara kita ini tidak mempunyai izin. Dan untuk Kota Pematangsiantar sendiri, itu sedang diberlakukan PPKM Level 3. Sehingga kita berupaya dengan SOP, tentunya dengan SOP, supaya mereka bisa kita kembalikan ke Dairi,” ujar Boy Sutan Binanga. (*)
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Labour rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Mar 11, 2022
- Event Description
As many as 90 Papuan students were detained by the police following riots against the formation of a new autonomous region (DOB) or the expansion of Papua in front of the Ministry of Home Affairs office, Central Jakarta, Friday (11/3). As of 21.30 WIB, 89 of them have been sent home.
"A total of 89 have been repatriated, but one has not been repatriated because it is related to the beating of an Intel Head," said Head of Public Relations of the Polda Metro Jaya Kombes E Zulpan when contacted, Friday (11/3).
Previously, Papuan students held a demonstration against the new autonomous regions (DOB) in front of the Ministry of Home Affairs Office, Jakarta. The action turned violent and resulted in 4 police personnel being injured. Eight protesters were also reported to have experienced the same thing.
Dozens of students were then secured and collected at the Metro Jaya Police Headquarters for data collection.
Zulpan said that his party was still conducting an investigation related to the beating of the Intel Head of the Central Jakarta Metro Police AKBP Ferikson Tampubolon. Strict action will be taken against the perpetrators.
"The police will enforce the law against acts of violence committed against officers on duty," he said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Minority rights defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 10, 2022
- Event Description
Veteran democracy activist Mya Aye, who was arrested on the day of the military coup in February last year, was sentenced to two years in prison by a junta court on Thursday as he marked his 56th birthday.
The activist was a prominent leader of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and was among the first people to be detained by the new junta last year.
He was sentenced at a court inside Insein Prison, where he has been detained since his arrest, under Section 505c of the Penal Code for “inciting hate towards an ethnicity or a community,” his lawyer Thet Naung said.
A judge from Yangon’s Mingalar Taungnyunt Township Court handed down the sentence, he added.
Mya Aye was arrested at his home in Mingalar Taungnyunt on February 1 last year and charged in mid-March, Thet Naung said, adding that his client would have around a year deducted from his sentence for time served.
Mya Aye needs medical attention for a wound on his foot and for a heart condition, the lawyer said. In October last year, he was admitted to a hospital outside the prison for several days because of an infection in the foot.
“He’s not in very good health,” Thet Naung said. “We asked the court to let him go to an outside hospital [again] but he was not allowed in previous court hearings.”
The charge against Mya Aye relates to an email he sent to a Chinese official seven years ago about Myanmar’s peace process.
He wrote in the email that because of government propaganda and Burmese ethnonationalism, people in Myanmar believed that China was interfering in the peace process and had backed Kokang rebels in their fight against the Myanmar military, according to his case file.
“The plaintiff couldn’t even submit solid evidence against him. He was arrested unjustly and sentenced unfairly,” Thet Naung said.
Mya Aye did not call any defence witnesses but testified for himself, the lawyer added.
Mya Aye spent a total of 12 years behind bars for his role in the 1988 uprising and the 2007 Saffron Revolution. After his release in 2012 he remained politically active, often drawing the military’s anger.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 10, 2022
- Event Description
A court in Insein Prison last week indicted freelance journalist Soe Yarzar Tun under Section 52a of the Counter-Terrorism Law, which carries a prison sentence of up to seven years, lawyers have told Myanmar Now.
The reporter was detained in Bago Region’s Thone Sel Township on March 10, just days after he escaped arrest when fifty soldiers raided a monastery in Bago where he was practising as a monk.
He was held at the Phayar Lay Interrogation Center in Yangon’s Hlegu Township and then sent to the local police station, a family member said, adding it was likely the journalist was tortured under interrogation.
“We sent him some food and some money when he was being held at the Hlegu Central Police Station but we weren’t allowed to see him,” the relative said. “We managed to communicate through hand signals from afar and he signalled back at us from behind bars.”
The relative speculated that the junta filed a terrorism charge based on information found on the journalist’s phone after his arrest.
In March last year he was arrested while covering anti-coup protests and charged with incitement under Section 505a of the Penal Code. He was released on June 30.
The date of next court hearing for the terrorism charge is not yet known, a group of lawyers helping political prisoners said.
A total of 115 journalists have been detained since last February’s coup, and 39 of them are still in prison.
Another three journalists–Sai Win Aung, Pu Tuidim and Soe Naing have been killed by the junta’s forces since December, according to the International Federation of Journalists
Last year, Myanmar had the second-highest number of journalists behind bars in the world after China, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Mar 9, 2022
- Event Description
On Wednesday, March 9, 2022, the Pasangkayu Police, West Sulawesi arrested five farmers who were involved in the struggle of the Kaili Tado indigenous people in Kabuyu Hamlet, Mertasari Village, Pasangkayu Regency, West Sulawesi. The five farmers were previously reported by the PT Mamuang truck driver, Andi Alamsyah, in the case of alleged criminal acts of threats as referred to in Article 335 Paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code. This arrest was made after the police issued a second summons to five farmers, in which the first police call was not received by the farmers.
The five farmers were intercepted on their way to get legal assistance, after being successfully stopped by the police, they were taken to the Pasangkayu Police Station at 10.00 WITA on the grounds that a BAP (Minutes of Investigation) process would be carried out by the police for the previously reported threatening actions.
The five farmers are Agus (male, 66 years old), Suarka (male, 66 years old), Lodra (male, 58 years old), Halima (female, 55 years old) and Dedi (male, 30 years old). ). After going through a lengthy BAP process, three of the five people who were originally witnesses are now named suspects, namely Dedi, Agus, and Suarka.
Since the entry of PT Mamuang in their area in 1991, the lives of the people in Dusun Kabuyu have undergone significant changes. Initially, the people in Kabuyu Hamlet managed their ancestral land for productive agricultural land. The community grows rice, corn, cocoa, coconut and various other types of crops to support their livelihoods. However, since PT Mamuang came to their area, the community is only allowed to manage a narrow land on the banks of the Pasangkayu river. They lost their management area because it was taken over by PT Mamuang. Since the start of the company's operations, PT Mamuang has planted outside their HGU. This is evidenced by the oil palm plantations planted along the Pasangkayu watershed at a distance of less than 50 meters from the river bank. PT Mamuang was proven to have violated Government Regulation No. 38 of 2011 concerning Rivers, which stipulates that oil palm companies are not allowed to plant within the border line, which is 50 meters from the river bank.
PT Mamuang, a subsidiary of PT Astra Agro Lestari, the second largest palm oil company in Indonesia, has a long list of criminalizations committed against farming communities. According to WALHI records, since 2017 PT Mamuang has criminalized 7 farmers who have lived in the plantation area for a long time, fighting over their housing because it was confiscated by PT Mamuang. In the criminalization effort carried out by PT Mamuang, it was reported that the indigenous Kaili Tado community was struggling to find a place to live amidst the onslaught of palm oil investment by PT Mamuang. Since PT Mamuang entered community territory in 1991, PT Mamuang has planted 100 hectares outside their HGU, which is the customary land of the Kaili Tado community. For nearly 32 years, a total of 107 households (KK) in Kabuyu have lived in the midst of a crisis of limited living space, marginalized by PT Mamuang's palm oil investment. They live and farm on the banks of the Pasangkayu river and become the “living embankment” of PT Mamuang's plantation. The deprivation of the living space of indigenous peoples is the initial pattern of the destruction of investment controls, taking advantage of limited access to information and poor conditions closing civil rights to recognize citizen entities, which has been the opening for ASTRA Investment to seize community land since 1991.
The community's resistance in Dusun Kabuyu to reclaim their land began in 2003, when the community realized that PT Mamuang had been planting outside their HGU, such as oil palm located along the Pasangkayu watershed less than 50 meters from the riverbank. Since then, the people of Kaili Tado have slowly occupied the oil palm land planted by PT Mamuang and managed the land around their area. Resistance was also conveyed by taking action against companies and local governments to demand the return of their land. In 2006, the company then mobilized a number of police and company thugs (centeng) to oppress and intimidate the public into silencing their three-year resistance.
In early January 2022, the Indonesian government issued Decree No. SK.01/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/1/2022 concerning Revocation of Forest Area Concession Permits, although PT Mamuang's concession is not included in the list of companies whose forest permits were revoked despite problems, the indigenous people of Kaili Tado consider this moment to reclaim their land . After the issuance of the decree, they returned to occupy another area previously planted by PT Mamuang which is believed to be customary land and is outside the HGU area of PT Mamuang. After two months of occupation, on February 27, 2022 PT Mamuang, with complete escort from the Pasangkayu Police, isolating Kabuyu Village by cutting off a number of road access for the Kaili Tado community by making a ditch to close the road. They also intimidated the Kaili Tado indigenous community by mobilizing a number of thugs.
It is important to note that the rampant criminalization carried out by palm oil companies does not only occur in Kabuyu or is carried out by PT Mamuang. Conflicts that often occur and are unavoidable in the circle of oil palm plantations do not escape the government's fault in ensuring all requirements are met. For example, in the process of issuing oil palm plantation permits, each company is required to fulfill a number of requirements such as IUP, INLOK (Location Permit), Land Acquisition, and HGU (Hak Guna Usaha). However, in each stage of the licensing process there are requirements that are not completed at each stage of the licensing process, causing problems in the next licensing process. This is also due to the weak principle of FPIC (Free Prior Informed Consent) free, free consent given by communities affected by oil palm companies.
Responding to frequent criminalization by PT Mamuang, Khairul Syahputra, Head of the Campaign and Advocacy Department of WALHI Central Sulawesi stated, “Almost half a century ASTRA Group in Central Sulawesi and West Sulawesi has been doing oil palm plantation business by robbing people of their livelihood space, and causing structural poverty for the people. community in the circle of investment. The massive land conflict between the community and ASTRA today is an accumulation of business impacts that started with land grabbing. Criminalization and intimidation are used as weapons by ASTRA to quell the resistance of the people who today demand the return of their rights." Obviously.
“WALHI urges ASTRA to return community lands that have been confiscated and stop all attempts to criminalize and intimidate residents. WALHI also urges the government to undertake reconstruction and re-audit all acquisitions of ASTRA land permits in Central Sulawesi and West Sulawesi.” added Khairul.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Agricultural business
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Mar 9, 2022
- Event Description
The terror acts still haunt the residents of RW 11 Tamansari Village, Bandung City who reject the row house construction project (rudet).
Residents are haunted by acts of terror by unknown people who destroy their homes.
A resident or anti-eviction activist from the Tamansari Bersatu Forum, Eva Eryani Efendi reported that the destruction by unknown persons was most recently discovered on 19 and 23 March 2022. A fish pond and windows of his house were broken.
However, no valuables were lost, Eva also suspected that the perpetrator did not intend to steal but sent a threatening signal.
Eva used to open a confectionery business at home, since the eviction of Tamansari in 2019 she lost her livelihood and is now a daily laborer at a sewing house in Bandung. The destruction usually happens when Eva is out of the house for work.
"We found that our house, our fighting post was damaged by unknown people. The atmosphere of the dwelling became chaotic," he said recently.
To Suara.com, Eva showed the broken window. Now it's been patched again. There was also a fish pond barrier that was also damaged, the water was dry and the fish disappeared. In fact, it is one of the residents' self-help food sources.
Similar damage had occurred on February 11, 2021. The vegetable garden managed by the residents was ransacked by a group of people.
At that time, there were also attacks and intimidation not only against residents but also legal assistants and a journalist. Some of them were injured and taken to the hospital.
The incident has been reported to the Bandung Police. However, according to Eva, a year has passed and the handling of the case has not progressed.
For this experience, Eva is pessimistic and disappointed. The reason is that this time the residents chose not to report the recent incident.
"If you report to the police a case that has not continued at that time, no one has been declared the perpetrator, so for this case I will not report to the police because it is useless to report to the police, where there has been no progress in the past," said Eva.
In addition to criticism of the police's performance, Eva said, the choice not to report is also a symbol of criticism of the treatment of Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, who reported human rights activists Haris Azhar and Fatia to the police.
It is known that Haris Azhar is the director of Lokataru and Fatia Maulidiyanti is the coordinator of KontraS. They have been named as suspects based on Luhut's report.
The report that was sent to the two of them originated from the video content of Haris and Fatia on YouTube. There, they alluded to the allegation that Luhut was involved in the mining business in Papua.
Eva could not stand to speak up for Luhut's actions, which she said were a form of criminalization or repression against civilians, especially human rights defenders, including those who often fight for land rights.
"This country with a government that is now so brave (oppresses) to its people, to its citizens they use power," he said.
Eva believes that what Haris and Fatia convey is data from a research result. Luhut should have responded with research or scientific data, not a report to the police. According to Eva, Luhut is childish.
As a satire, Eva gave diapers and pacifiers to the minister, who is often called Lord Luhut.
"I'm really angry. I want to give him a diaper with a pacifier, right. Yes, it's because it's childish," he said. "Even if I have to be in front of Luhut, I'll say it like that, okay, if you say the ITE Law is geus weh wanina ka me, I'm sorry that you've been arrested, ambeh loba deui my suffering. )," said Eva. More about this source text Source text required for additional translation information Send feedback Side panels
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property
- HRD
- Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Mar 7, 2022
- Event Description
Authorities in Phnom Penh arrested another 180 striking employees of the NagaWorld Casino Monday as the fight against the Hong-Kong based company enters a third month.
Thousands of workers walked off their jobs in mid-December, demanding higher wages and the reinstatement of several jailed union leaders and 365 workers they say were unjustly fired from the hotel and casino, which is owned by a Hong Kong-based company believed to have connections to family members of Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Cambodian authorities have called the strike “illegal” and alleged that it is supported by foreign donors as a plot to topple the government. But a series of arrests in recent weeks have been attributed to alleged violations of pandemic health regulations in Cambodia’s capital. Activists said the charges were trumped up to break up the strike.
On Monday, dozens of security officers forced the 180 strikers onto buses and transported them to a quarantine center in the city’s suburbs for processing. The workers maintain that they have been following quarantine rules.
“The authorities accuse us relentlessly. I ask where is the will to find a solution for the people who have been exploited by foreign companies? Where is the justice for the Cambodian people?” Miech Srey Oun, a worker who has now been arrested twice, told RFA’s Khmer Service.
“The company tried to turn our dispute with the company over to the authorities, even though we, the workers, had a dispute with the employers only, not with the authorities,” she said.
Miech Srey Oun said that a bus released the workers into the hot sun. The strikers were not given food and water, she said.
Chinn Usaphea, another striking casino employee, told RFA that the strike is a last resort. She and her coworkers exhausted all other options in hope of resolving their dispute with NagaWorld. She is now calling on Hun Sen to step in and solve the dispute.
“As citizen, I would like to ask the Samdech father Hun Sen to look at his children in NagaWorld, because we need to be stable in the workplace and to have unions in the workplace,” she said.
“He should tell the relevant ministries to stand neutral to encourage the NagaWorld employers to come out and deal with their grieving staff to end this long-standing dispute,” she said.
RFA could not reach Phnom Penh City Hall spokesman Met Meas Pheakdey and Ministry of Labor spokesman Heng Sour for comment.
The authorities should release the detained union representatives and let them solve the issue with NagaWorld, Ny Sokha, president of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, told RFA.
Once the union leaders are free, they can negotiate and the strikers would have no reason to demonstrate, he said.
He noted that the government, which has called for talks to end the war in Ukraine, could handle this much smaller dispute.
“This is such a small thing compared to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. So, I think the government is not so incompetent that it cannot solve the NagaWorld issue,” he said. “But this depends on the will of the government to solve the problem. That requires will of the government to uphold justice for the workers, who need help from the government.”
On March 4, two NagaWorld strikers were placed under judicial surveillance in connection with allegations that they had prevented other NagaWorld workers from taking COVID-19 tests, which the two workers denied.
As one of the largest casinos in Phnom Penh, NagaWorld had a total of over 8,000 workers before the strike. The number has been reduced to slightly over 6,000 after the cutbacks that caused the strike.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Mar 7, 2022
- Event Description
On March 7, 2022, Tran Thanh Phuong was released into home surveillance for another two years, after completing his sentence. However, instead of allowing him to return to his home in Ho Chi Minh City, the An Phuoc prison officer took Phuong to Hue, a city in central Vietnam, without any explanation. Phuong’s wife, Le Khanh, posted a message on Facebook asking for help resolving the issue since her husband currently doesn’t have a job and is sheltering temporarily with a relative.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Mar 5, 2022
- Event Description
The state’s strict stance guarding royal processions has been underlined once again as an activist was arrested and charged with lèse majesté and violation of the Computer Crime Act for live-streaming herself at a royal procession and questioning the priorities of the police and the King as protesters were cleared from the route.
On 6 March, Nang Loeng Police Station charged Tantawan ‘Tawan’ Tuatulanon, 20, an activist on the issue of monarchy reform and abolition of the lèse majesté law, with 5 counts of resisting officers, violating the Computer Crimes Act and royal defamation for her actions on 5 March. She was sent to court for a temporary detention order on 7 March.
On the evening of 5 March, Tantawan was arrested on Ratchadamnoen Nok Road, the route of King Vajiralongkorn’s procession.
Her Facebook livestream shows her questioning the way the authorities cleared the road in preparation for the procession by removing protesting farmers who had been living in a makeshift shelter on the footpath for 3 months, demanding that the government solve the agricultural debt problem, a promise they had made 2 decades ago.
In her live broadcast, Tantawan expressed her excitement at seeing real horses from the cavalry and questioning the perspective of the King and police in clearing the protesters away from the scene instead of coming to listen to their grievances. Her insistence on broadcasting live despite police orders for her to stop led to her arrest 49 minutes into the broadcast.
The broadcast included phrases like “What route is this? Can I see the horses? Can I look at the horses? Can I come for a close look?”, “The farmers’ protest has to move … so you should know that the farmers’ protest must be moved because one person is coming”, and “Let’s remember that the farmers’ protest has to move. Instead of going to listening to their problems, they have chased them off just because one person is coming. So let’s remember, between the people and the monarch, who is more important.”
The broadcast was deemed by the police to negatively affect the King, possibly causing viewers to hate the King and to misunderstand the situation because the farmer protesters willingly stepped aside ahead of the procession.
The arrest was made by about 60 police officers ahead of the motorcade's arrival. Tantawan was taken to Phaya Thai Police Station while still live broadcasting the incident in the police vehicle. Fearing that her supporters would follow her, the police decided to move her to the Police Club on the outskirts of Bangkok in Lak Si.
Tantawan was detained in the Narcotics Suppression Bureau located inside the Police Club from 5 March to 7 March when she has been granted bail on a 100,000-baht security and the conditions that she must not repeat her offense or participate in activities which damage the monarchy, and must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
While waiting for the result of her bail request, officers from Pathumwan Police Station came to notify Tantawan that they have charged her with royal defamation and sedition for conducting a poll on royal motorcades at Siam Paragon on 8 February 2022.
It must be noted that it took almost 2 hours for a lawyer to meet Tantawan after arriving at the Police Club despite the right in the Criminal Code for those arrested to meet a lawyer.
According to Tantawan and her friend who was able meet her before the investigation process, Tantawan was detained with drug-related crime suspects. The royal defamation and Computer Crime offences added to the charge sheet on Sunday, a day after she was charged while detained in the Police Club with resisting officers. The bail process was therefore suspended due to the gravity of the charges.
Throughout her detention, people could be seen in front of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau facility waiting for her release. Red ribbons were tied to the locked entrance gate as a symbol of support.
A royal defamation offense stemming from Tantawan’s live broadcast raised questions about how the law is being given an even wider interpretation by criminalising people who dare to cross the long-time taboo against criticizing the monarchy.
Anon Nampa, human rights lawyer and famous monarchy reform advocate posted on Facebook that the police charge was an insult to the judicial system. The police will be held responsible if the Thai judicial system begins to look untrustworthy in the eyes of the world.
Somsak Jeamteerasakul, an exiled academic well-known as a monarchy critic, posted the charge sheet, highlighting the allegedly offending phrase “...between the people and the monarch, who is more important.”
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), 83 activists and civilians have reported police surveillance and harassment before or during royal processions countrywide in January and February 2022. In 2021, TLHR reported 291 similar cases.
TLHR cited the royal processions as the main reason for the harassment because the police often asked if any action would be staged along the routes of royal processions. The police also put heavy restrictions on targeted individuals to keep them away from the vicinity of royal processions.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Mar 5, 2022
- Event Description
More than 100 Vietnamese villagers demanding title to their land were attacked and beaten on Saturday by assailants wearing civilian clothes while police looked on and refused to intervene, according to local sources.
The attack in Dien Ban town in central Vietnam’s Quang Nam province came after petitioners set up tents and raised banners in front of the town’s People’s Committee headquarters, asking for their right to land for which they paid five years ago, sources said.
Roads leading to Dien Ban had already been blocked to prevent access to the town center when protesters arrived, a petitioner named Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam told RFA on Monday.
“However, a large number of us managed to push our way through and reached the place where we raised our banners and set up mats and blankets, planning to stay there till today.”
A group of around 30 men wearing face masks, helmets and civilian clothes then arrived and attacked the group, beating petitioners including children and elderly women, Tam said.
“They even sprayed us with fire extinguishers and took away our tents, illegally detaining protesters and taking them to a nearby police station,” she added.
Traffic police present at the scene did nothing to prevent the assault, Tam said, noting that the unidentified attackers appeared to be working in coordination with local authorities to attack and disperse the protest.
“After all, the roads to the town center had been cordoned off, so how could they get to where we were?” she asked.
Thugs associated with the police have frequently been used by Vietnamese authorities in the past to break up land-rights protests or attack political dissidents or members of unsanctioned religious groups, sources say.
Saturday’s protest was the latest attempt by petitioners to secure title to land lots purchased from the Bach Dat An Stock Company, which accepted villagers’ payments for the land but have yet to acknowledge ownership, sources say.
A March 5 report by state-owned newspaper Lao Dong (Labor) said that petitioners had set up tents and raised banners in front of the People’s Committee headquarters, but had taken down the tents themselves and dispersed quietly on their own.
No mention of the assault on protesters was made in the article, which quoted the committee’s deputy chairman.
Calls seeking comment from Dien Ban Town Party Chief Dan Huu Lien and Village Chairman Tran Uc were not picked up this week.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Mar 5, 2022
- Event Description
The Vietnamese authorities stopped several pro-democracy supporters from attending an event in Hanoi in support of Ukraine on March 5, 2022, following the Russian invasion, Human Rights Watch said today. The Ukrainian Embassy was holding “a charity bazaar dedicated to raising funds for people in need in Ukraine.”
The Vietnamese government routinely violates freedom of movement and other basic rights by subjecting activists, dissidents, human rights defenders, and others to indefinite house arrest, harassment, and other forms of detention to keep them from attending protests, criminal trials, meetings with foreign dignitaries, and other events. At times, the authorities detain people just long enough to make them miss the event.
“Vietnamese security agents frequently restrict activists’ movements, blocking them from leaving their homes or neighborhood to prevent them from attending an event the government considers problematic,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Now the Vietnamese government has extended its policy of repressing activism by preventing people from showing support for the embattled people of Ukraine.”
Hoang Ha (known as Song Que), a rights supporter, reported that the evening before the Ukrainian charity event, security agents from ward and district levels asked her whether she planned to attend. On the morning of March 5, a security agent in civilian clothes prevented her from leaving her house even though she promised that she would only go to a friend’s house for lunch.
Dang Bich Phuong wrote on her Facebook page, “Ukrainian people, please sympathize with us. When we express our support for you online, our accounts got blocked. When we tried to take to the street to support you, they blocked our doors. At least, Ukrainian people enjoy more freedom than we do.” Among six friends that Dang Bich Phuong had invited to her house for lunch before heading to the charity event in the afternoon, only three were allowed to go to her house. Each of them brought along a “tail” of two security agents who were apparently told to prevent them from going to the bazaar after lunch. Dang Bich Phuong wrote that, when she went down to pick up the food she ordered, she saw “a row of six guys sitting in the lobby.” As a result, Dang Bich Phuong and her friends realized they would not be permitted to go to the bazaar.
Security agents prevented at least eight democracy campaigners from going to the Ukrainian Embassy’s event: Nguyen Xuan Dien, Hoang Ha, Nguyen Nguyen Binh, Nguyen Khanh Tram, Nguyen Van Vien, Pham Thi Lan (wife of political prisoner Nguyen Tuong Thuy), Dang Bich Phuong, and Nguyen Hoang Anh.
During the March 2, 2022 vote at the United Nations General Assembly on passage of a resolution calling on Russia to end its military offensive in Ukraine and denouncing Russia’s violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, Vietnam abstained.
As Human Rights Watch detailed in its February report, “Locked Inside Our Home: Movement Restrictions on Rights Activists in Vietnam,” the Vietnamese government frequently uses various methods to keep people under house arrest, such as stationing plainclothes security agents outside homes, using padlocks to lock people inside, erecting roadblocks and other barriers to prevent people from leaving their homes and others from entering, mobilizing neighborhood thugs to intimidate people into staying home, and applying very strong adhesives – such as “superglue” – on locks.
In a separate case on March 2, the poet Thai Hao left his house in Thanh Hoa for the airport. He planned to fly to Ho Chi Minh City to receive an award for poetry at an informal ceremony organized by the literary group Van Viet. Thai Hao reported that prior to his trip, security agents went to his house and “advised” him not to go. He was determined to go, but before he could get very far, uniformed police stopped him on the road. Two men in civilian clothes then crossed the street and attacked him, hitting him in the face.
Initially, the uniformed police did not intervene. Only when Thai Hao yelled repeatedly for help did the police at the scene tell the two men to stop hitting him. The police fined Thai Hao for violating traffic laws and took him to the police station, keeping him there for three hours. Thai Hao missed his flight and had to return home.
Hoang Hung, a poet involved in organizing the informal Van Viet gathering, wrote that the authorities prevented all invitees who lived outside of Ho Chi Minh City from attending the event. Those who lived in Ho Chi Minh City met at a café on March 3, surrounded by plainclothes security agents. When one participant raised a piece of paper with the names of the awardees, a security agent snatched the paper out of his hand.
On March 7, Van Viet published a letter that “denounces the government’s obstruction of its awards and harassment of its recipients.”
“Vietnamese police and security officers harass and abuse critics and rights activists in the most blatant ways, always with total impunity,” Robertson said. “Concerned governments should urgently condemn this litany of abuses and call for an end to the authorities’ violations of people’s right to freedom of movement because of their beliefs and speech.”
- Impact of Event
- 8
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Mar 2, 2022
- Event Description
A major students’ union has said it fears for the lives of two students and a teacher who were arrested in Mandalay last week for involvement in the movement against the junta.
Student activists Aung Myo Ko and Thiri Yadanar were detained on Wednesday evening along with Kyaw Zin Latt, a teacher taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), a member of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) said.
A large number of soldiers raided Thiri Yadanar’s home in Amarapura Township to make the arrests, said the union member, who asked to remain anonymous. “They were arrested while the three of them were meeting at Thiri Yadanar’s house,” he said.
“I think they were tipped off by someone. Aung Myo Ko was beaten during his arrest. I heard the house was sealed off as well,” he added.
Aung Myo Ko is the chair of the Mandalay Education Degree College Student Union, while Thiri Yadanar is secretary of the ABFSU in upper Myanmar. Kyaw Zin Latt is a teacher at the Magway Tayar Middle School in Singu Township. The three are all in their 20s.
Before their arrests, they had been helping the families of activists detained at Obo Prison to send care packages to their loved ones, the ABSFU member said.
He added that the three are being interrogated at the Amarapura Township Police Station and that he was worried the military would falsely accuse them of being involved with the People's Defence Force (PDF) and file unfounded charges against them.
“They were only involved in the actions of the ABFSU,” he said. “They have no affiliations with the PDF at all. I heard anti-terrorism charges are going to be filed agaisnt them. We are very worried about their safety and for their lives.”.
Police and military officials could not be reached for comment.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Mar 1, 2022
- Event Description
Vietnam’s security forces continue political suppression which started in late 2015, arresting Ho Chi Minh City-based human rights activist and civil society campaigner Tran Van Bang (aka Tran Bang) on March 1 and charged him with “conducting anti-state propanda” under Article 117 with potential imprisonment of between seven and 12 years, even 20 years in prison.
According to local activists, the HCM City’s police broke into his private residence in the Tuesday’s morning when he was alone at home. The state-controlled media reported that police also conducted a house search and confiscated a number of documents with “anti-state” content.
Citing information from the city’s Police Department, the state-controlled newspapers reported that the local police probed the case on November 24 last year.
Like other political cases, Mr. Bang, 61, likely will be held incommunicado for at least four months during the investigation period.
Before being arrested, Mr. Bang was summoned by the local police twice and he warned his friends that he would be arrested soon.
In late 2021, he announced to close his Facebook page Tran Bang to focus on his health. He reportedly has a number of health issues in recent years, including eye vision but has not been treated properly due to Covid-19 pandemic and social isolation due to the deadly outbreak.
Mr. Bang, an engineer in construction, has been involved in social affairs more than a decade ago. He is among well-known government critics, and often gives interviews to foreign media such as Radio Free Asia, Voice of America, and BBC.
He has actively participated in peaceful demonstrations in HCM City and Hanoi since 2011 to protest China’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea). He was detained many times by security force, and in a protest in 2015, he was brutally beaten by security forces.
Bang has been the second activist being detained and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” since the beginning of 2022. On January 10, blogger Le Manh Ha got arrested for his posts on Facebook on a number of issues, including systemic corruption and land grabbing across the country.
According to Defend the Defenders’ latest statistics, Vietnam is holding at least 254 prisoners of conscience, including 37 in pre-trial detention. Hanoi always denies holding prisoners of conscience but only law violators. Among them are 12 activists in pre-trial detention and 50 convicted activists alleged of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code (1999) or Article 117 of the Criminal Code (2015), the controversial accusation the international community has urged Vietnam’s authoritarian regime to remove from the country’s law because it has been used for decades to silence peaceful government critics.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
Case shared by Defend the Defenders Vietnam
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Feb 28, 2022
- Event Description
Background
Tuan was born in Quang Nam Province and currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City. He graduated from the history program at the University of Da Nang, and now is also pursuing a law degree at Hanoi Law University.
Profile photo source. History of Activism
Tuan is a young professional that showed his concern for human rights in Vietnam starting at a very young age. He has participated in the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam since 2015 and joined many collective movements across the country. According to journalist Pham Doan Trang, Tuan has always dreamed of writing the first historical book on the democratization of Vietnam.
Details of Imprisonment
According to certain news sources in Vietnam, the authorities intend to combine the cases of Pham Chi Dung, Pham Chi Thanh, and Le Huu Minh Tuan into one case with Le Huu Minh Tuan acting as an accomplice. All are members of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam.
October 2020:
The government has finished its investigation of Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan. Thuy’s wife said their lawyer will be Nguyen Van Mieng. Some observers expected that the trial would be held soon.
November 2020:
Lawyers for jailed journalists Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan say they have finally received paperwork that allows them to start working on the cases on behalf of their clients, after the Procuracy office finished its investigation. Attorney Nguyen Van Mieng reported that since their arrests, the three men have not yet been allowed to talk to a lawyer. He also said the men were allowed to receive supplies sent by their families on November 6, but he was not able to see them due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Attorney Nguyen Van Mieng, lawyer for Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan, said the order for their temporary detention was signed on November 12, 2020, allowing for three months and 15 days of additional detention. It is thus expected that their first instance trials will take place toward the end of January 2021. Dung said that after reading the 12-page indictment against him, “I could not see where I broke the law.” Thuy said, “Of the 45 articles attributed to me, some weren’t even mine.” He said he’d appeal the indictment within 15 days.
January 2021:
Three members of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN) were sentenced to a total of 37 years in prison after a trial lasting half a day. Pham Chi Dung, 55, received 15 years; Nguyen Tuong Thuy, 69, received 11 years; and Le Huu Minh Tuan, 32, received 11 years. All three were convicted of “anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the 2015 Criminal Code. Thuy is known to be in poor health; the long sentences could cause serious health problems. You can read our analysis of the trial here. Before his sentencing, Thuy made this statement: “All my articles are just yearnings for our people and our country. In the future, activities like mine will be considered perfectly normal.” Dung said, “A harsh sentence for independent journalists like us will show the world what ‘freedom of the press’ looks like in Vietnam. It’ll also create problems in international relations during this difficult period.”
The authorities accused the three of writing “reactionary content,” of publishing articles that “distort the truth, incite individuals to rise up and overthrow the people’s government, or even incite hatred and extremism.” However, a video of Tuan highlights the peaceful nature of his work and aspirations. He contends that he joined the IJAVN, a purely civil and professional entity, to pursue the rights enshrined in Vietnam’s Constitution. He also emphasizes, explicitly, that his objective is never to topple the current regime. Please watch and share this video of Le Huu Minh Tuan speaking in his own words.
Update, late January: Le Huu Minh Tuan has decided to appeal his prison sentence. He appears to be in good health and spirits, according to his lawyer, Dang Dinh Manh.
June 2021:
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) issued an opinion on Le Huu Minh Tuan, in which they found Le Huu Minh Tuan’s detention to be arbitrary and called for his immediate release.
The WGAD also noted that this case is one of many cases brought before the Working Group in recent years concerning arbitrary detention in Viet Nam. These cases follow a familiar pattern of arrest that does not comply with international norms, which is manifested in the circumstances of the arrest, lengthy detention pending trial with no access to judicial review, denial or limiting of access to legal counsel, incommunicado detention, prosecution under vaguely worded criminal offences for the peaceful exercise of human rights, and denial of access to the outside world. This pattern indicates a systemic problem with arbitrary detention in Viet Nam which, if it continues, may amount to a serious violation of international law.
February 2022:
On February 28 an appeals court in Ho Chi Minh City upheld the 11-year sentence for Le Huu Minh Tuan, a member of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN), on charges of “anti-state propaganda.” The open trial lasted only half a day and Tuan’s family was not allowed inside the courtroom. Tuan’s sister, Le Thi Hoai Tam, told VOA that Tuan was not allowed to see his lawyer, Dang Dinh Manh, before the trial due to “pandemic reasons.” According to his lawyer, Tuan stated in court that he only exercised his basic freedoms of expression and of the press according to Article 25 of the Constitution.
We talked to Le Thi Hoai Tam, Tuan’s sister. Like many other families of political prisoners in Vietnam, they have faced harassment from the law enforcement to visit and send Tuan necessities. Ms. Tam calls on the international community to speak out forcefully for the release of Tuan and members of the Independent Journalist Association. Watch the interview to learn more about Tuan and his personality through the eyes of his sister and the family.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Feb 28, 2022
- Event Description
Four student leaders held in Yangon’s notorious Insein Prison for nearly a year have been sentenced to three years with hard labour for incitement, according to their lawyers.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe, Sitt Naing, Lay Pyay Soe Moe, and Thuta Soe were among hundreds arrested last March for taking part in protests in Yangon’s Tamwe Township.
All four were found guilty of violating Section 505a of the Penal Code for their part in leading the protests. They were tried by a special prison court and sentenced on Monday, their lawyers said.
“They were very calm and collected when they received the sentence. But I’m worried about Wai Yan Phyo Moe, as he has a history inside the prison,” said Thet Naung, the lawyer representing Wai Yan Phyo Moe and Sitt Naing.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe, who is vice president of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, was previously sentenced to two years and one month in prison for taking part in a campaign calling for the restoration of internet access in Rakhine State in 2020.
He is also facing other incitement charges related to his anti-coup activism last year.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe, Sitt Naing, and Lay Pyay Soe Moe were also tortured and placed in solitary confinement for taking part in a protest inside Insein Prison last July, according to statements released by their respective organisations at the time.
Sitt Naing, who is also known as Zaw Htet Naing, is the vice chair of the Yangon Educational University Student Union, while Lay Pyay Soe Moe is a central executive officer of the Yangon University Student Union.
Thuta Soe, who is a member of the Yankin Educational College Student Union, was among seven prisoners singled out for mistreatment by prison authorities for not complying with orders, Myanmar Now reported last June.
Aung Kaung Sett, the chair of the Yangon University Student Union, said the fact that all four had received the maximum sentence for their alleged offences reflected the junta’s attitude towards its opponents, but would do nothing to deter others from resisting its rule.
“We will continue to hold fast to our anti-dictatorship policies, as we always have,” he said.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), the regime has detained more than 12,000 people since seizing power last February. Of these, at least 9,437 were still behind bars as of March 1, the group says on its website.
The regime has also killed nearly 1,600 civilians since the coup, according to the AAPP’s latest figures.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 27, 2022
- Event Description
The Commission on Human Rights condemned the ambush of Infanta, Quezon mayor Filipina Grace America on Wednesday as it vowed to launch its own probe into the attempted killing.
To recall, local police reported that the mayor was on her way home from church when her vehicle was repeatedly shot by unidentified gunmen in Poblacion Uno, Infanta, Quezon on Sunday, February 27.
In a statement, the CHR said that it launched its investigation "in hopes that our independent investigation may help in holding perpetrators to account."
"It is deeply alarming that violations of human rights are becoming more brazen—committed in broad daylight and without regard for human life," lawyer Jacqueline de Guia, CHR spokesperson said.
"Under a democratic society, any dispute—may it be politically-motivated or otherwise—should never be settled through the barrel of a gun."
America is running for re-election in Infanta.
She and her office also voiced strong opposition to the construction of Kaliwa Dam, which advocates say will submerge parts of Quezon and Rizal provinces, threaten wildlife and biodiversity, and displace indigenous communities in the area.
She is still recovering after sustaining gunshot wounds in different parts of her body, the Philippine National Police.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Public Servant, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Feb 26, 2022
- Event Description
Activist Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon was arrested on Saturday (26 February 2022), after she conducted a poll on whether the royal defamation law should be repealed and attempted to deliver the poll result to the Grand Palace.
Carrying red and blue ribbons, Tantawan asked passengers on the BTS sky train, the MRT underground and public buses to vote on whether the royal defamation law, or Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, should be repealed by tying a ribbon to the handrails on the train or bus, red if they want the law repealed, blue if they think it should remain.
Throughout the afternoon, Tantawan took the BTS from the Victory Monument station to the Kan Kheha station, before transferring to the MRT and travelling to the Sanam Chai station. After a small clash with police officers at the Sanam Chai station entrance, she boarded a public bus and continue conducting her poll on the way to Sanam Luang. During her journey, a majority of passengers were seen taking red ribbons and tying them to handrails.
Since November 2020, the number of people charged with royal defamation has risen rapidly. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 173 people have been charged with royal defamation for political expression and participation in pro-democracy protests. Several protest leaders are facing multiple counts, including Parit Chiwarak, who is facing 23 counts; Anon Nampa, 14 counts; Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, 10 counts; Panupong Jadnok, 9 counts; and Benja Apan, 7 counts.
An online petition to repeal the royal defamation law was launched in November 2021 and gained over 100,000 signatures within 24 hours of its launch. It gained over 240,000 signatures before becoming inaccessible. Any attempt to access the site was redirected to a screen saying that it has been suspended by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society for violating the Computer Crimes Act. If accessed via https URL on the Google Chrome browser, the browser shows a privacy warning.
While on her way to the Grand Palace, intending to deliver the result of her poll, Tantawan was arrested by police officers near the Ministry of Defence and was carried away by a group of women police officers.
She was taken to Samranrat Police Station where THLR reported that her hands were restrained with cable ties, and she was denied access to a trusted person to go inside the police station with her. Tantawan’s friends had to negotiate with the police to be able to see her.
After spending three hours in detention, she was charged with refusing to comply with an officer’s order under Section 268 of the Criminal Code, and received a fine of 5000 baht. TLHR said that her phone was confiscated while she was detained, and that there were bruises on her hands from the cable ties.
Tantawan said that her intention was to go to the Grand Palace. She said that all she has was ribbons and would not have been able to cause any harm, and that she only intended to show that a large number of people wanted to have the royal defamation law repealed and that the online petition for the repeal has been blocked.
She also said that police officers were talking on the phone while she was being taken to the police station, and that she heard them asking the person on the phone what charge they should file against her. She said that when she was detained on the police van, the officers could not tell her which law she had violated.
Nevertheless, Tantawan said that she will continue her campaign, and that she considered Saturday’s event a success since most participants in the poll wanted the royal defamation law repealed.
Tantawan previously conducted a poll at Siam Paragon shopping mall on 8 February 2022 on whether people think they face trouble from royal motorcades, along with activists from the Thaluwang (“Through the palace”) group, which she has since left. She is now campaigning independently.
During that event, two activists walked around the mall holding a piece of paper saying “Do you think royal motorcades cause problems?” on which people could place a sticker to cast their vote. The event faced obstruction from mall security, who stood in front of the activists, as well as announcements that the mall is a private area and permission must be granted before any event can take place or the management will press charges. They also followed the activists while they were inside the mall, but despite the blockade, people continued to vote on the activists’ poll.
After completing their activity inside the mall, the activists walked to nearby Sa Pathum Palace, Princess Sirindhorn’s residence, intending to deliver the result of the poll. They were blocked by police officers near the palace entrance. Plainclothes officers took hold of one of the activists from behind and tore the cardboard poll sign out of her hands.
A 22-year-old woman who participated in the royal motorcade poll also said that police officers visited her at home after the event. She was not one of the organizers, but went to observe the event and take pictures. She admits that she became directly involved in the proceedings when police officers tried to stop the event and a small clash took place. She said that this was the first time she had been visited by the police.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Singapore
- Initial Date
- Feb 25, 2022
- Event Description
The sentencing of Singaporean activist Jolovan Wham highlights the increasingly repressive space for activists and human rights defenders in Singapore, said the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and Think Centre in a joint statement today.
On 25 February 2022, Jolovan Wham was fined S$3,000 (approximately USD$2,200) after being found guilty of violating the Public Order Act in January. In 2018, Wham held a one-person protest outside of the former State Courts building by holding a sign urging for charges against The Online Citizen editor Terry Xu and writer Daniel De Costa to be dropped for alleged defamation over an article on corruption. Wham uploaded his photo with the sign on Facebook. In its ruling last month, the court reasoned that Wham was aware that holding assemblies without official permission was prohibited.
‘Wham’s conviction merely for exercising his right to free expression is part of a wider pattern of harassment and intimidation against activists and defenders in Singapore. The continuous judicial harassment he is subjected to is meant to intimidate Singaporeans into silence,’ said FORUM-ASIA.
In recent years, Wham has faced harassment over his activism. Last year, Wham faced a separate charge for illegal assembly under the Public Order Act for holding a cardboard with a smiley face drawn on it in front of the Toa Payoh Central Community Club in Singapore. He was also fined a total of S$8,000 for organising a silent protest on the MRT train in 2017 on the 30th anniversary of the detention of activists under the draconian Internal Security Act. In 2019, he was convicted for violating the Public Order Act after organising an event titled ‘Civil Disobedience and Social Movements’ without a permit. In 2018, he was also charged with contempt of court over his dissent in a court decision on political cases.
In 2021, CIVICUS Monitor which ranks countries based on their civic space rating downgraded Singapore’s civic space from ‘obstructed’ to ‘repressed’ due to the deterioration of freedom of speech and the media, and the use of repressive legislation against critics, journalists and civil society.
‘The recent sentencing of Jolovan Wham reaffirms our position to downgrade Singapore’s civic space, which has consistently shrunk in recent years. Beyond the targeting of Wham and other activists, the government has imposed a crackdown on fundamental freedoms including through the use of repressive laws including the Public Order Act, POFMA and FICA,’ said CIVICUS.
Singapore’s 2009 Public Order Act defines the ‘assembly’ as including ‘a demonstration by a person alone’, and penalises individuals who organise assemblies without permission to a fine of up to $5,000. Journalists and critics have faced defamation charges for publishing information about State actors under overly broad legislation while the Protection Against Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) has been used to target the opposition, activists and critics. A new Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) passed last year, provides the government powers to target individuals seen to be acting on behalf of a foreign national.
‘The string of charges and conviction of Jolovan is a sad and stark reminder that Singapore remains a repressive State. Years of oppressive laws have conditioned Singaporeans to be fearful without safe spaces to express their thoughts on social and political matters. The international community must do more to hold the Singapore government accountable for judicial harassment against human rights defenders,’ shared Think Centre.
During Singapore’s third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2021, States urged Singapore to revise legislation restricting the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and associate and ensure the full enjoyment of the fundamental rights. Singapore, however, rejected the majority of recommendations related to civic space.
‘Singapore’s continuous refusal to address its worsening human rights situation should raise concerns within the wider international community. Its political and economic influence in Southeast Asia risks further perpetuating and reinforcing such authoritarian trends in other countries. Singapore must end its judicial harassment of Wham and other defenders, repeal its repressive laws, and commit towards taking genuine steps to improve and widen its civic space,’ said the groups.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 24, 2022
- Event Description
The military said that five alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed after a series of encounters with soldiers in Davao de Oro on Thursday morning, February 24. Two of those slain, however, were known teachers of Lumad schools.
Captain Mark Anthony Tito, information officer of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, identified one of those killed as activist and volunteer community school teacher Chad Booc, who gained prominence after he and several others were accused of training Lumad “child warriors” at the University of San Carlos Talamban campus in Cebu City in early 2021. The university denied that the children received military training in its campus.
Tito said the other one who died was Jojarain Alce Nguho III, a volunteer teacher at the Community Technical College of Southern Mindanao in Barangay Lapu-lapu, Maco, Davao de Oro.
The military referred to the two as among the alleged NPA members killed in a series of encounters with soldiers in Purok 8, Barangay Andap, New Bataan town in Davao de Oro on Thursday.
Tito said the soldiers did not immediately know that Booc was one of the casualities. “The soldiers did not know it was Booc until he was positively identified by one former rebel,” he added.
Tito said civilian residents had alerted soldiers of the 1001st Infantry Brigade to the presence of rebels foraging for food in a hinterland village.
“The firefight started at around 4 am and lasted throughout the morning. There were three encounters in the forested section of the village,” Tito said.
Tito said that based on the documents found at the scene, the estimated 20 rebels apparently belonged to the NPA-Southern Mindanao Regional Committee and its regional operational command. He said they fled after the firefights and left behind the slain victims.
Also found in the area were an M653 rifle, a caliber .45 pistol, a grenade, and an anti-personnel landmine, according to Tito.
Booc graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines-Diliman with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. After he graduated, Booc volunteered as a Mathematics teacher at the Alternative Learning Center Agricultural Development (ALCADEV), a school for lumad children in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
The military has repeatedly tagged ALCADEV and other lumad schools as NPA fronts, and the government has since closed down the schools in Mindanao.
Police in February 2021 charged Booc and several others for allegedly trafficking children in Cebu City. The court dismissed the charges and Booc was released from jail. ‘Bloody massacre’ of civilians
Save Our Schools Network (SOS) condemned the incident as a “bloody massacre” of civilians.
SOS said in a statement on Friday that according to residents of Barangay Andap in New Bataan, there was “no encounter between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army” in the area.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Feb 23, 2022
- Event Description
The Preah Vihear Provincial Court has summoned a forest activist for questioning for incitement over an unspecified complaint, which the activist believes is related to mobilizing people to patrol and protect the forest.
Investigating judge Pheng Kosal ordered Het Nay, a representative of the Prey Preah Roka Forestry Community Network, to appear at the court on February 23 for questioning for incitement. The accusation dates to 2020, the summons says, without specifying the nature of the complaint.
Chheb district governor Sok Sandara said he did not know the details of the complaint either, but Nay was well-known for being uncooperative with authorities and demanding community land from Chinese companies in the area.
“Nay has a tendency. He considers the Prey Preah Roka forest as his forest, regardless of the ministry’s authorizations. Whether community land or companies’ economic concessions, he always claims it’s his land. He does not cooperate with the village, commune, district or provincial authorities. He seems to have a different opinion from us,” Sandara said.
Nay patrolled in the forests without respecting local authorities, he added.
Nay told VOD on Tuesday that he was ready to testify though he did not know the identity of the complainant or the alleged offense.
He believes the case came after he mobilized people in the community, including monks, to patrol and prevent community forest crimes. He was particularly active in 2020, he said. Authorities had prevented people from meeting and discussing the actions, he said.
The activist called on the court to drop the charges, saying that all he did was protect the forest.
“This accusation against me is because someone hates us. They hate us as a forest protector who prevented them from logging,” he said. “The destroyers of the forest have many people. They have many factions. They have found a way to stop and prevent us from entering to protect the forest and protect the trees.”
Another activist in the Prey Preah Roka Forestry Community Network, Pean Sophat, said he saw the summoning of Ney as a threat to discourage the community from patrolling the forest.
“He did not incite anything. He just facilitated participation in protecting the forest to protect nature, which is in the common interest,” he said.
Rights group Adhoc’s Preah Vihear provincial coordinator, Lor Chan, said the case against Ney had initially been for fraud when it was in the hands of the court prosecutors, but had changed to incitement after it reached the investigating judge.
Prey Preah Roka, a sanctuary covering more than 90,000 hectares, has seen significant deforestation as community patrollers have been suppressed, a recent report said. A visit to the forest found marks of cuttings and clearings scattered through the sanctuary.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Feb 23, 2022
- Event Description
About 30 NagaWorld strikers spent the night at a Prek Pnov quarantine center waiting for a Covid-19 test that eventually happened Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, police and health officials continued to detain protesting NagaWorld workers near the casino complex in Phnom Penh. That afternoon, authorities took 39 workers to the Prek Pnov facility. But unlike Monday’s batch of 64 detainees, health officials did not test the workers the same day as their detention, nor make them sign contracts to leave.
However, health officials began testing workers at about 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to worker accounts and Facebook livestreams recorded at the facility. In those streams, workers can be seen keeping track of tests performed.
After the tests were conducted, officials can be heard saying four workers had tested positive, with the group asking for those people to be tested again. Ros Lyheng, a NagaWorld worker at the quarantine center, confirmed there were four positive cases.
“I don’t have anything to suggest besides testing the four people again. If they test again, they are positive. Please take them but we just want to [test] again,” said Srey Pov, one of the workers seen in the livestream.
A health official replied saying that was not possible and that the four workers were being placed in a separate area.
Of the 64 workers tested on Monday, two people tested positive and were sent to hospital for treatment.
Phnom Penh city spokesperson Met Measkpheakdey refused to answer questions Wednesday morning and sent reporters a copy of a City Hall statement released Tuesday night. He did not confirm the test results from the group of 39 workers.
The statement the spokesperson referred to describes “anarchic” gatherings of NagaWorld strikers disobeying city-issued health guidelines.
“City Hall has eagerly appealed to demonstrators to stop illegal activity. They still violated under the pretext of holding a strike to find labor solutions by gathering through social networks and other means, and ignored health measures while Omicron transmission is spreading in the community with three digits,” the statement read.
The capital administration said it would no longer educate the workers and would instead impose fines of $250 to $1,250 going forward, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, workers complained about the conditions at the testing facility, saying the Prek Pnov center lacked basic facilities. The workers detained there said the space was divided into narrow cubicles with cots, as well as dirty linen and bedding that was left outside the rooms.
Photos posted by the workers show them sleeping on mosquito nets outside the rooms at the quarantine center.
Lyheng, one of the workers, said health officials made them complete forms but would not say anything else or address their concerns with the conditions at the facility.
Authorities on Thursday continued to detain NagaWorld workers attempting to resume their strike, with local rights groups criticizing what they described as excessive use of police force including sexual harassment against the strikers.
There have been more than 150 detentions from NagaWorld unionist attempts to resume their strike at the casino complex. Union members confirmed on Thursday that an additional 27 people were detained and taken to the same quarantine center in Prek Pnov that officials have used this week to confine workers and test them for Covid-19.
Thursday’s arrests followed the same strategy used by police over the past few days of shoving, carrying and dragging the workers who appeared near the casino into waiting city buses. Videos from today’s detentions show police officers wearing personal protective equipment pushing women into a bus, crushing some of them against the vehicle’s stairs.
Civil society groups also released a statement condemning the use of “state-sponsored violence” and Covid-19 measures against the workers to end their strike. The groups expressed concern over tactics used by security personnel, which they said includes sexual harassment.
According to the statement, a male police officer grabbed one worker and “squeezed her breast” as she was forced into a bus on Tuesday. The groups also pointed to the alleged use of lewd language and threats of sexual assault made by a security official against a union member in late December.
“In these challenging times, women need increased guarantees to exercise their rights and support, and civil society cannot remain silent in the face of the violence committed against them, all the more when such abuses are committed by the very authorities whose mission is to protect them,” reads the statement.
Ou Tepphalin, who heads a service and entertainment worker federation, said the police were being heartless in their behavior, especially in relation to the allegations of sexual harassment.
“It is unfortunate that when the authorities wear the security uniforms, it seems that the exercise of rights is reduced and the perpetrators are not afraid of the law,” she said, during an online press conference by rights groups.
Phnom Penh police chief Sar Thet denied that any officers were intentionally touching the workers inappropriately, and blamed the physical skirmishes on workers’ reluctance to follow authorities’ instructions.
“No one intended to touch her breast,” he said, referring to the allegation in the statement. “I think we don’t have the intention to do this and I believe that no one wants to do that.”
As of Thursday morning, about 75 detainees brought on Tuesday and Wednesday remained at the Prek Pnov center.
Authorities had brought 39 workers there on Tuesday, of which four tested positive and were taken to a hospital. Of the 51 detained on Wednesday, three tested positive on Thursday morning and were taken for treatment. The rest of the detainees were still at the center as of Thursday evening.
Workers say officials have demanded the detainees sign contracts pledging to end their striking or pay fines of $1,250. The workers have refused this, instead choosing to remain at the facility. However, on Thursday 35 workers were released and allowed to return home, said striker Ros Lyheng, who is part of the group.
“They did not have a car to pick us up, they told us to find our own way [home],” Lyheng said. “Doctors told me if you want to have a bus for you, you should sign a contract.”
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement, Sexual Violence
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Feb 23, 2022
- Event Description
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Indonesia has described the hacking and disinformation attacks against its chairperson Sasmito Madrim as a threat to press freedom and freedom of expression.
This statement was originally published on aji.or.id on 25 February 2022.
The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) condemned the hacking and disinformation attacks against AJI Chairperson Sasmito Madrim. AJI believes that such tactics should be regarded as an assault against AJI as an organization and its activists in their fight for freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
On February 23, 2022, around 6.15 PM (Western Indonesia Time), an unknown party simultaneously hacked the WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook accounts and the personal mobile number of Sasmito. His Whatsapp account was the first to be hacked when the instant messaging application notified Sasmito on his mobile phone that his number had been registered to another device.
Around 7 PM, the hack had spread to his Instagram and Facebook accounts. The hacker then deleted all of his Instagram posts before uploading Sasmito’s personal contact information. Meanwhile, on Facebook, Sasmito’s profile picture was changed to a pornographic image. Afterward, his mobile number could no longer receive calls and SMS messages.
AJI’s internal digital safety team has made efforts to restore those accounts and has successfully recovered Sasmito’s Facebook account. Meanwhile, the recovery process of his Instagram and Whatsapp accounts is still ongoing.
On February 24, 2022, AJI Indonesia noticed disinformation attacks brandishing Sasmito’s name and photo on social media with the following narratives:
- Sasmito supported the government to disband the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).
- Sasmito supported the government in constructing the Bener Dam in Purworejo, Central Java.
- Sasmito called for the National Police (Polri) to arrest human rights activists Haris Azhar and Fatia.
On behalf of Sasmito, AJI Indonesia would like to state the following: that AJI Chairperson Sasmito Madrim never issued any of the statements above and that they are all fake. AJI Indonesia is an organization that supports and fights for freedom of association and speech, freedom of expression, and people’s right to information.
The three disinformation posts were trying to pit AJI Indonesia against other civil society organizations. Including the people of Wadas, who are currently fighting the forces behind the natural resource exploitation in their village.
Regarding the attacks on Sasmito, AJI Indonesia states the following:
-
The hacks and disinformation attacks against AJI Chairperson Sasmito Madrim are an act of terror against activists fighting for freedom of expression and democracy.
-
Requesting the public reject the disinformation narratives spreading on social media.
-
Requesting the public support AJI Indonesia in fighting for freedom of the press, freedom of expression, association, speech, and right to information.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Feb 22, 2022
- Event Description
11 activists have been charged with violations of the Emergency Decree for joining a protest organized by the People’s Movement for Just Society (P-Move), which addressed land rights and community rights.
Activist Pachara Kamchamnan, a member of the Save Bang Kloi Coalition, said that he received a summons from Nang Loeng Police Station on a charge of violating the Emergency Decree and must report to the police station on 22 February 2022. He said that the charge is likely related to the P-Move protest, during which protesters occupied the sidewalk opposite the UN headquarters on Ratchadamnoen Avenue from 20 January 2022 before marching to Government House. They then continue to occupy the Nang Loeng Intersection until 3 February 2022, when they ended their protest after their demands were answered by the government.
The Save Bang Kloi Coalition, an indigenous rights activist network, posted on their Facebook page that no other activist has reported receiving a summons, but according to Nang Loeng Police Station, summonses have been issued for 11 people, which include both protest leaders and members of P-Move’s partner organizations.
The 11 people are:
Chamnong Nuphan, Chair of the P-Move Executive Committee Phonphinan Chotwiriyanon, Northern Peasant Federation (NPF) member Pachara Kamchamnan, Save Bang Kloi Coaliation activist Chan Tonnamphet, Bang Kloi community member Wittawat Tepsong, activist from the Andaman Seafaring Ethnic People and a member of the Community Network for Social and Political Reform Nuken Inthachan, Four Regions Slum Network member Malai Chiangpheng, Community Network for Social and Political Reform member Nithip Khongthong, Four Regions Slum Network member Wanlop Pandee, Northern Peasant Federation (NPF) member Nitirat Sapsomboon, P-Move advisor Nueangnit Chidnok, Four Regions Slum Network member
Chan Tonnamphet is 17 years old and the only minor charged. She is a member of the Bang Kloi indigenous Karen community and came to join the protest with other members of her community, who are protesting under the name “Bang Kloi Khuen Thin” (“Bang Kloi returns home”) to demand that their community be allowed to return to their ancestral land at Chai Phaen Din village in the Kaeng Krachan forest.
Pachara said that the protest was an attempt to demand community rights and to call on the government to act on promises it gave during previous protests. However, the authorities’ attempt to block protest marches with razor wire and deployments of crowd control police against protesters, as well as filing charges against the 11 activists shows that citizens will never have rights in this political climate, since not only they are denied their rights but are also attacked by the authorities.
Meanwhile, P-Move issued a statement condemning the charges against the activists as severely unjust, and that they show the government’s insincerity. It says that those who joined the protest came from across the country despite the spread of Covid-19 to demand the rights they are entitled to, and to use legal measures against them is inhumane.
P-Move demanded that the government must lift the State of Emergency declared in March 2020 to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and cancel the summonses, since the protest was within their constitutional rights and in line with international human rights principles.
- Impact of Event
- 11
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Feb 22, 2022
- Event Description
Regime forces in Sagaing Region’s largest city, Monywa, made multiple arrests on Tuesday during crackdowns that caused one protester to have a miscarriage and left one man wounded.
The first incident occurred at around 6am in Monywa’s Thala Ward, where two young women on motorcycles were distributing anti-regime flyers with a group of other protesters when they were rammed from behind by a car.
While one of the women managed to esape on her motorcycle, the other, who was knocked off of hers, was forced to flee on foot, according to Arkar, a member of the Monywa People’s Strike Committee.
The second woman asked another motorcyclist for help, but was pushed aside when she attempted to get on the vehicle, said Arkar, who also took part in the protest.
“She said it was soon after that that she started bleeding,” he added, noting that the woman was two months pregnant.
The woman was eventually able to get away, but at least five youths were arrested in the crackdown, according to Arkar.
Myanmar Now has been unable to contact the two women directly for comment.
The second incident took place about an hour later in Monywa’s Ywar Thit Ward, where soldiers opened fire on two young men who they suspected were waiting to join others in a protest.
According to Arkar, one of the men was shot three times in the thigh before being arrested.
“When he fell after getting shot, a soldier came over and stepped on his face with his boot. They hadn’t even started protesting yet,” he said.
Arrests were also reported elsewhere in the city as part of an effort to crush a new nationwide protest movement called the “Si Kar Thapate” (“Strikes Galore”) campaign, also known as "Six Twos Strike Day" in reference to Tuesday’s date, 22.02.2022.
The campaign involves small groups gathering in public places with flowers and wearing traditional hats and thanaka, a paste made from tree bark that is spread on the face as a natural cosmetic.
A 30-year-old resident of Monywa’s Yankin Ward was arrested at around 9am on Tuesday, while two women who had thanaka on their faces were arrested on the city’s Bo Bwar Yeik Thar at around 10am, according to Arkar.
“They’ve had scouts out there since 4am, waiting at all the places where they expect protesters to gather,” he said.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to health, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Feb 22, 2022
- Event Description
Anti-junta writers Maung Tha Cho and Htin Lin Oo (Wisdom Villa) were given two-year and three-year prison sentences respectively by the Insein Prison Court on 22 February, according to a prison source.
The writers were charged under Section 505 (A) of the Penal Code, which makes it a crime to publish or circulate any statement or report with the intent of causing military officers, civil servants and soldiers to mutiny or to otherwise disregard orders or fail in their duty.
When the military seized power on 1 February 2021, Maung Tha Cho and Htin Lin Oo were arrested and taken to Insein Prison, where they were charged under Section 505 (a). They have only now received their prison sentences, despite having been detained in prison for more than a year.
The decision to appeal a case lies with the convicted individual or their family members. It is unknown at this time whether the writers will appeal their sentences.
“Maung Tha Cho was sentenced to two years instead of the maximum sentence (three years imprisonment) under section 505 (a) and Htin Lin Oo was sentenced to the maximum sentence under the section,” said a source.
In the case of 88-Generation student leader Mya Aye, his lawyer filed a final appeal on 22 February, and a final verdict is expected on 8 March.
Htin Lin Oo, who was sentenced to the maximum sentence of three years, was arrested on the morning of the junta military coup, 1 February 2021, for broadcasting an anti-junta live video on his social media page.
Maung Tha Cho was arrested for an article he wrote in a journal about eight years ago.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Artist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Feb 21, 2022
- Event Description
Authorities in Cambodia detained more than 100 striking workers from the NagaWorld Casino Monday and Tuesday for allegedly violating COVID-19 protocols.
Thousands of workers walked off their jobs in mid-December, demanding higher wages and the reinstatement of eight jailed union leaders and 365 workers they say were unjustly fired from the hotel and casino.
Cambodian authorities have said the strike is “illegal” and allege that it is supported by foreign donors as a plot to topple the government.
Earlier this month, officials in Phnom Penh’s City Hall directed the striking workers to stop their protest out of concern they would spread the coronavirus. Activists dismiss the claim as an excuse to end the peaceful protest.
Authorities rounded up 64 of the striking workers on Monday and 39 on Tuesday. Two workers in the group of 64 tested positive for COVID-19, while the other 62 were released. The group of 39 workers, meanwhile, had not been released as of Tuesday evening.
After their arrests, the workers were taken to the premises of an NGO called the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development in Phnom Penh’s Prek Phnov district. The facility appeared to have been long abandoned and did not have running water, Meach Srey Oun, one of the 39 workers, told RFA’s Khmer Service Tuesday.
“They put us in a remote building that’s really dirty and refused to let us leave. Our families are worried,” she said.
She said that at least two of the workers were injured when they were arrested Tuesday morning and that security guards sexually abused the workers by touching their breasts. They were forced to fill out forms with their names, phone numbers and addresses before they were allowed to eat dinner.
“We don’t know the reason behind our detention. We have received no information about our arrests,” Meach Srey Oun said.
She said the workers are continuing to strike because there are 11 union members, including leaders, who remain in detention.
“We will continue to demand justice and until justice is prevailed, we will continue the demand,” Meach Srey Oun said.
Authorities should never have become involved in the dispute between NagaWorld Casino and its workers, Am Sam Ath of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (Licadho) told RFA.
He dismissed concerns about the propagation of COVID-19, noting that the workers had recently finished quarantine procedures.
“If authorities continue their actions, there will be more criticism,” he said. “We want to see the dispute be resolved peacefully to prevent this dispute from getting bigger.”
Licadho and other civil service organizations issued an open letter to authorities calling for the release of all detained union members.
“The charge of incitement to commit a felony levied against the union leaders and activists sends the message to NagaWorld strikers that their labor rights can be flouted with impunity while they will face legal action merely for calling out their company’s labor violations and seeking redress,” the letter said.
“This could set a dangerous precedent, emboldening employers to ignore inconvenient labor standards, and potentially leading to a roll-back of hard-earned labor rights in Cambodia,” it said.
RFA could not reach Phnom Penh City Hall spokesperson Met Measpheakdey for comment Tuesday. The city government issued a statement late on Tuesday saying the 39 workers are being tested for COVID-19. It said the detained workers must pay fines of between 1 million to 5 million riel ($245-1,230) or remain in detention.
“City Hall urges all NagaWorld workers to stop gathering in violation of health measures and cooperate with authorities to ensure public health and order,” the statement said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Cambodia: 16 more labour rights defenders arrested, including union president, Cambodia: City Hall bans protest of labour rights defenders, Cambodia: labour rights defenders prevented from leaving strike site, 9 arrested, charged and questioned, Cambodia: labour rights defenders prevented from staging peaceful strike, Cambodia: Ministry of Health orders COVID-19 test for all protesting labour rights defenders, Cambodia: six more labour rights defenders arrested
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 18, 2022
- Event Description
The family, lawyers and colleagues of development worker Dr. Ma. Natividad Marian Castro called on the authorities to surface her.
Castro, or Doc Naty, was arrested on Feb. 18 in her house in San Juan City allegedly based on an arrest warrant on trumped-up charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in Caraga.
According to lawyer Theodor Te, Castro’s whereabouts are still unknown. She was reportedly last seen by her relatives at Camp Crame. Upon inquiry, Te said police officers told the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) that Castro is no longer at Camp Crame as “she was supposedly brought to the airport to be delivered to the court in Butuan City.”
Her lawyers waited at the airport yesterday afternoon but they did not see Castro nor the arresting team. As of press time, Castro is yet to be found.
Former Commission on Elections Luie Tito Guia who was with Castro’s family yesterday said they were given a runaround. In a Facebook post, Guia said he was only allowed to talk to his client for a few minutes while at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center. When Castro was taken out of a building, Guia said he asked for the names of the arresting team but he was ignored and the police vehicle sped away.
Before her arrest, Castro was red-tagged along with 32 other progressive leaders in November 2020. Their photos and names appeared on tarpaulins in Lianga, Surigao del Sur and Butuan City, Agusan del Norte. On March 21, 2021, one of those who were red-tagged, Lumad human rights worker Renalyn Tejero, was arrested in Cagayan de Oro City.
Karapatan said the arrest of Castro is another form of attack against human rights defenders.
“This despicable policy and practice of the Duterte regime of filing trumped up charges against rights defenders in an attempt to silence them should stop,” the group said.
Karapatan Secretary Deneral Cristina Palabay lamented that those who are guilty of seven counts of graft are still at large while a doctor who is helping the poor is being accused of being a criminal.
The group said Castro could have made a prominent career in medicine in the urban areas or even abroad after her graduation, but she chose to work in the rural areas of Mindanao.
Castro, is, in fact, a cum laude in BS Zoology in University of the Philippines-Diliman in 1990. In 1995, she graduated with a degree in Medicine at the UP College of Medicine. She was also a Scholastican High School Valedictorian in 1986.
In 2006, Castro’s alma mater, St. Scholastica’s College-Manila honored her with the Centennial Award as one of the 100 Outstanding Graduates in the last century.
“There is a huge lack of doctors in the rural areas where one out of 10 Filipinos die without even being able to have a health consultation. There are only a few doctors who choose to work for the poor. Why arrest her?” the Health Alliance for Human Rights said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Abduction/Kidnapping, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Feb 17, 2022
- Event Description
A student in Lamphun has been ordered to take down a set of campaign photographs on marriage equality from their social media account by their school administration, which claims that protests should not be done on campus or in uniform.
Fah (pseudonym), a Mathayom 6 (Year 12) student in Lamphun, said that she was summoned to meet on Thursday (17 February 2022) with school administrators along with other students who participated in the campaign, after they posted on Monday (14 February 2022) a set of photographs of themselves carrying Pride flags and flashing the three-finger ‘Hunger Games’ salute as part of a campaign for marriage equality.
Fah said that Mathayom 6 students were taking their graduation photos on that day, and so were already wearing their school uniform. Since she saw that the LGBTQ right activist network Rainbow Coalition for Marriage Equality was staging rallies across the country to campaign for the right of people to register their marriages regardless of gender, she invited her friends to take photos with Pride flags at several locations in the city, including their school campus. Fah then posted the photos on her personal Facebook profile.
She said that a teacher saw the photos, and the school administration was upset that there were photos of the students flying Pride flags and flashing the three-finger ‘Hunger Game’ salute, a well-recognized resistance symbol commonly used by pro-democracy protesters. She was told by a teacher that the principal wanted them to take the photos down, and that it is inappropriate to take part in such a campaign while on campus and in uniform.
Fah said that she refused to take the photos down, and that her teachers are trying to pressure her into taking them down by calling her and sending her Facebook messages, but she has not answered their calls or answered their messages.
She said that this is not the first time her school has tried to limit students’ freedom of expression. Students were harassed at an earlier protest in Lamphun town, near the Queen Cham Thewi (Camadevi) Monument. She alleged that the school provided the police with students’ personal information, allowing the police to visit students at home, and that the school did not try to protect its own students.
Fah said she thinks that the school is a public space, although some teachers see it as private, and that students should be safe to organize activities on campus. She said that campaigning for marriage equality would not damage the school’s reputation, but would instead be a good thing if the school showed support for the LGBTQ community, which is a universal value.
“If the school still deprives students of the right to freedom of expression, you will not be able to develop towards a free world,” she said.
On Monday (14 February 2022), Valentine’s Day, activists in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and several other provinces staged rallies to campaign for marriage equality, after proposed amendments to the marriage law to allow registration of marriage regardless of gender were delayed by parliament. Activists in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Sakhon Nakon set up booths to hand out leaflets, Pride flags, and stickers, and invited people to sign the online petition backing a bill proposing amendments to the marriage law to allow registration of marriage regardless of gender. The bill is proposed by a network of civil society organizations and is currently gathering signatures so that it can go before parliament.
A similar bill was proposed by the Move Forward party in early 2021. It went before parliament on 9 February 2022 for a first reading. However, parliament voted to have it forwarded to the Cabinet for a 60-day review.
Both bills propose to amend Article 1448 of the Civil and Commercial Code, which governs marriage, so that marriage registration is allowed between two people of any gender, instead of only between a man and a woman. If passed, these amendments will individuals to be legally married regardless of gender, and ensure that they receive equal rights, duties, and protection under the law. LGBTQ couples who have registered their marriage will be able to adopt children together, make medical decisions on behalf of their partner, and in cases where one partner dies, the other will be able to inherit from their partner and make legal decisions about their partner’s assets.
The bill being proposed by civil society also proposes to raise the age at which people can legally marry from 17 to 18 years old, and to replace the terms “man” and “woman” in every article of the Civil and Commercial Code relating to marriage with “person,” as well as to replace “husband” and “wife” with “spouse” and “father” and “mother” with “parents.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Intimidation and Threats, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- SOGI rights defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Feb 17, 2022
- Event Description
Two student activists in Chiang Mai have been evicted from their apartment, after police surveillance on their activity caused their landlord concerns.
“P,” a 19-year-old Chiang Mai University student activist, said that plainclothes police officers have been coming by their apartment every day for the past 2 -3 days since Phimchanok Jaihong, a member of the activist group Thalufah, came to stay with them in Chiang Mai.
P said that 2 officers came up to them on Wednesday (16 February 2022) while they were retrieving their belongings from their motorcycle and asked them whether they lived with Phimchanok. P said they denied it because they were concerned about Phimchanok’s safety, but the officers claimed that they heard that Phimchanok has problems with other activists, so they were making sure she is safe. P’s landlord also told them that police officers came to the apartment on Tuesday (15 February 2022), and that the police also called the landlord last month and asked to search the apartment, but the landlord denied their request as they were traveling at the time.
P said that Phimchanok was also staying with them at the time the landlord was contacted by the police, and after she left, the landlord, who has just returned to Chiang Mai, contacted the police about the search, but was told that they no longer needed to search the apartment.
After the officers left on Wednesday (16 February 2022), P’s landlord told them that the police coming around the apartment regularly make him afraid, and that P must leave the apartment by the end of the month. The landlord also told P that Phimchanok must leave immediately, claiming that P violated the apartment’s rule by bringing in a guest without first informing the landlord.
P is currently searching for a new apartment.
The Chiang Mai activist group Wilar Party also posted about the incident saying that the police also told P’s landlord that the two activists are facing legal charges and could be dangerous, and that they were monitoring the apartment because they heard that Phimchanok has problems with other activists, which is not true and not acceptable reasons for surveillance.
“The government is afraid of just one woman. They are questioning and pressuring her every day. She has no privacy, and we have been affected by the police’s harassment,” said the post.
“We are activists who work on several issues and have no fear of dictatorial power. This abuse of power and feeding people with false information, leading to this much damage will be a force to drive us forward. Don’t think that the people will be afraid of you. The more you do it, the more we will rise. We are just activists, not prisoners. Don’t imprison us by harassing us like we’ve done something wrong.”
Phimchanok was previously arrested on 14 January 2022, along with another Chiang Mai University activist, when they held up banners near the Chiang Mai University auditorium calling for graduates to boycott the graduation ceremony, presided over by Princess Sirindhorn, and for the repeal of Section 112. They were charged with creating a noise without a reasonable cause and refusing to comply with an official’s order. They received a 1500 baht fine and were released.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to housing, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Feb 17, 2022
- Event Description
A student activist arrested in Yangon last year after putting up posters that criticised the junta was handed a three-year prison sentence for incitement at a court inside Insein Prison last week.
Yin Myat Noe Oo, the treasurer of a branch of the Yangon University of Economics Students' Union, was among four detained in April near the Kyauk Myaung Market in Tamwe.
The court took time already served off of the 22-year-old’s sentence when handing down its decision on Thursday, said lawyer Thet Naung.
Yin Myat Noe Oo was arrested alongside Khant Thu Aung, her union’s chair, Phyo Kyaw Naing, a union member and Min Hein Khant, a former member.
She and the three others face an ongoing incitement charge for allegedly supplying information to a foreign journalist via a film director named Thein Tan.
Thein Tan was arrested in April while staying at the Chatrium Hotel. He was accused of selling information to Yuki Kitazumi, a Japanese journalist who was arrested in April but released and deported the following month.
Despite the journalist’s release, Thein Tan and the students are still being tried for the case at the Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township Court.
“The four members of the students’ union were allegedly acting as informants for Thein Tan, who in turn allegedly sold the information to international news departments and supplied Yin Myat Noe Oo with the money, according to the military,” said Thet Naung, the student’s lawyer.
La Pyae, a member of the students’ union, said he and others were fighting for Yin Myat Noe Oo’s freedom.
“We are fighting our hardest for everyone’s release and are revolting against the dictatorship,” he said. “I’m proud of her. We are going to do what we can from the outside until we win the fight.”
Khant Thu Aung, the union’s chair, was reportedly denied medical attention while sick in prison.
Last week, a separate students’ organisation published a letter written by an inmate at Insein that said political detainees were being tortured and denied medical care at the prison.
At least 12,219 civilians have been arrested by the military since last year’s coup and at least 9,206 are still in detention, according to a tally from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) that the junta claims is exaggerated.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Feb 17, 2022
- Event Description
Kades Kinipan Ditahan, Perjuangan Kinipan Dibungkam.
Kepala Desa (Kades) Kinipan, Wilem Hengki, ditahan di Kepolisian Resor (Polres) Lamandau, Kalimantan Tengah. Tidak hanya alasan penahanannya yang tidak jelas, tetapi hal ini juga menjadi upaya kriminalisasi untuk membungkam perjuangan Masyarakat Kinipan.
Palangka Raya. Pada hari ini Jum’at (14/1/2021), Wilem Hengki, Kades Kinipan ditahan di Polres Lamandau. Padahal, selama ini Kades Kinipan menjadi salah satu tokoh Masyarakat Kinipan yang frontal berjuang mempertahankan wilayah adat Kinipan dari ekspansi perkebunan kelapa sawit PT. Sawit Mandiri Lestari (PT. SML).
Penahanan Kades Kinipan ini terkesan tiba-tiba dan terburu-buru. Aryo Nugroho dari Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) Palangka Raya, yang juga tergabung dalam Koalisi Keadilan untuk Kinipan, menyatakan kecewa akan penahanan yang dilakukan oleh Polres Lamandau. “Sebagai Pengacara yang mendampingi beliau, saya kecewa akan penahanan yang dilakukan oleh Polres Lamandau,” kata Aryo.
Aryo bahkan mengaku telah meminta agar penahanan Wilem ditangguhkan oleh Polres Lamandau. Namun, pihak Polres justru menyatakan ditahannya Kades Kinipan di Polres Lamandau adalah untuk mempermudah proses penyerahan Wilem ke Kejaksaan pada hari Senin (17/1/2022) nanti.
“Pihak Polres mengatakan bahwa penahanan Kades Kinipan ini adalah usaha paksa (penahanan) dan menunggu pelimpahan ke Kejaksaan. Selain itu, menurut mereka penahanan Kades tidak bisa ditunda karena adanya perintah dari atasan. Padahal Kades tidak pernah mangkir dari proses hukum, mestinya tidak perlu sampai ditahan,” kata Aryo.
Sebelumnya, pada tanggal 11 Agustus 2021 lalu, Kades Kinipan telah ditetapkan sebagai tersangka. Ia diduga telah melakukan tindak pidana korupsi (Tipikor) yaitu penyimpangan dalam penggunaan atau pengelolaan anggaran dana desa tahun anggaran 2019 Desa Kinipan dengan melanggar Pasal 2, Jo Pasal 3, Jo Pasal 18 Undang-Undang Nomor 31 Tahun 1999 tentang Tipikor.
Mencuatnya kasus dugaan Tipikor Kades Kinipan sama janggalnya dengan penahanannya hari ini. Menurut S. Mahendra, selaku Direktur Save Our Borneo, yang juga tergabung dalam Koalisi Keadilan Untuk Kinipan, kasus Kades Kinipan ini tidak lebih hanya sebagai upaya kriminalisasi dalam perjuangan yang sedang dilakukan Masyarakat Kinipan.
“Penahanan Wilem Hengki, selaku Kades Kinipan hari ini, tidak lebih hanya sebagai upaya pembungkaman terhadap perjuangan Masyarakat Kinipan. Ini adalah upaya pelemahan. Kita harus berdiri bersama Kades dan Masyarakat Kinipan,” ungkap S. Mahendra.
Karenanya, seruan untuk membebaskan Kades Kinipan harus kita gaungkan bersama. Koalisi Keadilan untuk Kinipan juga menyatakan siap untuk mendampingi dan mengawal proses hukum Kades Kinipan sampai memperoleh keadilan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Public Servant
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Malaysia
- Initial Date
- Feb 17, 2022
- Event Description
Today, authorities charged artist Fahmi Reza under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for the second time this year. Fahmi was released on bail set at RM 3,000 (approximately USD 750). The graphic, posted by Fahmi on Facebook on 1 June 2021, depicts a can of Carlsberg beer and reads, ‘Carlsberg for everyone.’ The graphic is a satirical commentary on the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s decision to grant approval for all factories producing alcohol to operate as ‘essential services’ throughout the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19. The decision caused a public outcry, leading the government to revoke its decision and ban the operations of breweries until the lockdown was relaxed.
Today’s charge forms part of a campaign of government harassment targeting Fahmi following criminal charges against him last week and multiple previous investigations. So far this year Fahmi has paid RM 8,000 (approximately USD 2,000) in bail charges.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Artist, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Feb 16, 2022
- Event Description
Two students from Dawei University in Tanintharyi Region were sentenced to seven years in prison each last week for making 5,000-kyat donations to assist civilians displaced by Myanmar’s ongoing political unrest.
Ei Chu Chu Maw, 19, and Lin Latt Kyi, 20, were both found guilty by a court inside Dawei Prison of violating Section 52b of Myanmar’s Counterterrorism Law for allegedly funding anti-regime activities.
The two young women both received the maximum sentence under the law, according to information released by the Dawei Political Prisoners Network (DPPN), a local advocacy group.
The sentences were handed down last Wednesday, the group said.
“They just donated money to help civilians in need. It’s unfair that they had to go to prison for this,” said a DPPN spokesperson.
The two women were arrested in their home village of Hein Dar Pyin, about 30km from Dawei, on November 5 after they made the donations using a popular money-transfer app last June.
Dawei Watch, another group that monitors human rights abuses in the region, later reported that they were sent to Dawei Prison on November 19 and charged under the anti-terror law.
They did not receive legal representation, according to the DPPN spokesperson.
“No lawyer dares to take up those cases anymore,” he said, noting that lawyers in Dawei stopped defending political detainees in October after several were threatened with arrest as accessories to their clients’ alleged crimes.
Myanmar Now contacted relatives of the two women, but they declined to comment on their cases, citing security concerns.
Ei Chu Chu Maw and Lin Latt Kyi were both first-year students at the time of their arrest. Ei Chu Chu Maw was studying English, while Lin Latt Kyi was enrolled in a program at the University for the Development of the National Races under the management of the ministry of border affairs.
According to the latest figures released by DPPN, the Dawei Prison court has sentenced 180 people, including 30 women, to prison in connection with alleged anti-regime activities.
In the final week of last year, 31 people received lengthy prison sentences for opposing the junta that seized power last February.
Tun Tun Oo, a 38-year-old protest leader who was arrested last September, received the longest sentence—a total of 18 years on four charges. Eight more years have since been added on three other charges.
Two more charges—including one for murder and another under Section 54 of the Counterterrorism Law—are still pending.
If found guilty of the remaining charges, he could be given the death penalty.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Feb 15, 2022
- Event Description
NagaWorld protesters are not permitted to rally in public spaces, City Hall said on Tuesday, urging them to gather at a park in the city’s outskirts when workers clear Covid-19 testing and quarantine requirements.
The casino workers’ protests, which began on December 18, came to a halt this month when the Health Ministry ordered they all test for Covid-19 and stay at home. The protesters are about to finish the mandated self-isolation period, to be followed by more Covid-19 tests.
City Hall issued a statement Tuesday saying the NagaWorld protests were banned in public places, and protesters should continue their rallies at Freedom Park if they don’t have Covid-19 symptoms.
Freedom Park, once an epicenter of rallies in the capital, was moved from its original location near the Night Market to the city’s outskirts in Russei Keo district.
“During the illegal protests, [their] activities caused serious disruptions to public order, traffic jams and people’s businesses,” City Hall said.
Protester Kim Sokha said she was sad to see the City Hall statement, which she believed was biased in favor of NagaCorp.
“I don’t know about other workers, but for myself, I will not go to Freedom Park. The strike was supposed to be near Naga. I will stand there. I’m ready for anything. If they arrest me, I’m not scared. Freedom Park is far. If we strike two or three years, we will still not have gotten a solution,” Sokha said.
“Since my workplace was Naga, I demanded that it should be the only place where the workers stand,” she added. “This is more pressure for me and the other strikers. City Hall does not see that we are in difficulty.”
Meach Sreyaun, another worker, said the protesters had held an online meeting on Tuesday, and they would discuss plans again after resuming testing tomorrow and Thursday.
“We are worried. Why don’t the authorities help us? Find a good solution. But they try to separate strikers. How powerful is Naga?” she said.
“Maybe the NagaWorld company is sleeping. If they are still not awake, we should wake them up in front of Naga.”
The Health Ministry announced 184 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, a dropoff after a surge to more than 500 daily cases announced on Monday.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch said it was concerned that Covid-19 was being used to justify a crackdown, pointing to three NagaWorld protesters arrested and charged under the Covid-19 Law.
“The Cambodian authorities are stooping to new lows by bringing criminal charges in the guise of public health measures to end a strike,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s persecution of union activists appears aimed at blunting the growing unity and strength of Cambodia’s union movement and their support for the NagaWorld strikers.”
Phnom Penh deputy governor Keut Chhe referred questions to the City Hall statement.
Around 40 NagaWorld workers tested positive during three days of testing earlier this month. They were sent to treatment centers, while the rest of the workers were told to stay at home for 10 days.
The protests revolve around mass layoffs last year that workers say targeted union leaders and members. Eleven protesters are now in pre-trial detention: eight are facing incitement charges and three were jailed for obstruction of the Covid-19 law.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Cambodia: 16 more labour rights defenders arrested, including union president, Cambodia: labour rights defenders prevented from leaving strike site, 9 arrested, charged and questioned, Cambodia: labour rights defenders prevented from staging peaceful strike, Cambodia: Ministry of Health orders COVID-19 test for all protesting labour rights defenders, Cambodia: six more labour rights defenders arrested
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Feb 14, 2022
- Event Description
The general chairman of the Indonesian Citizen Journalists Association (PPWI), Wilson Lalengke, S.Pd, M.Sc, MA is very concerned and regrets the behavior of unscrupulous police officers at various police stations in this country. One of them is the Kasatreskrim Polres Merangin, Jambi, with the initials IDS with the rank of Adjunct Commissioner of Police (AKP).
“There are strong indications that the police are using their authority arbitrarily. He is currently detaining journalists from Global Investigation News (GIN) on behalf of Ahmad Taufik and Sumiran for reports of alleged criminal acts that lack evidence," said the national press figure when he received a report from the Chief Editor of GIN regarding the detention of his journalist, Monday. February 14, 2022.
When asked about the reason for the detention which seemed forced on the two journalists, Lalengke said that there were strong indications that the detention was related to the news. As a result of the news in the GIN media, payments to unscrupulous officials, both at the Merangin Police and other local authorities from illegal mining entrepreneurs, stopped.
"I strongly suspect that this is related to the news in the Global Investigation News media about illegal mining activities in the Merangin area which are indicated to be backed up by elements at the Resort Police, Kodim, and other local authorities. As a result of the news, regular deposits from unlicensed mining entrepreneurs (PETI) have stalled or have stopped. Now, when there are residents who make LPs for these journalists, the opportunity is not wasted by these elements to silence journalists Ahmad Taufik and Sumiran by detaining the case of loose change that is not supported by strong evidence, "explained the PPRA-48 alumnus of Lemhannas RI in 2012 to hundreds of media affiliated to PPWI while sending a link to the news on the illegal mining case [1].
This arbitrary action by police officers, Lalengke asserted, is not only a violation of the Police Professional Code of Ethics (KEPP) but is also a criminal matter. "Yes, it's very clear, detaining people without being supported by strong evidence for alleged criminal acts as a violation, not only a violation of KEPP but can also enter the realm of crime, even violating human rights," said the PPWI Ketum who is known to be keen on defending these oppressed citizens.
For this reason, Lalengke hopes that the National Police Leaders at the central level evaluate the performance of the Merangin Police as a whole. Likewise, other agencies such as TNI Headquarters are required to carry out monitoring and evaluation (monev) on the performance of their officers in the area.
“I hope that the Jambi Regional Police Chief and the National Police Chief will immediately evaluate the performance of their subordinates at the Merangin Police, including examining the former Chief of Police and the new Chief of Police there. Likewise, the Sriwijaya Military Commander and the TNI Commander, to immediately evaluate the apparatus at the regional Kodim. Information received by the editors shows that Kasdim is involved in PETI activities by providing a dompeng machine that is used by miners to mine illegally," added Lalengke.
It is known that two journalists from the Global Investigation News Bureau of the Merangin Regency have been detained by the Merangin Police on behalf of Ahmad Taufik and Sumiran, since Monday night, February 14, 2022. They were detained on a report from a resident of Merangin, a mother with the initials RH, who accused them of committing criminal offenses as stipulated in the law. in articles 372 and 378 of the Criminal Code, with very weak evidence.
The story begins when RH asked Amrizal, a former GIN journalist, to help seek a suspension of detention for her husband who was arrested because of Article 480 of the Indonesian Criminal Code regarding the collection of stolen goods. Amrizal and RH then entered into a cooperation agreement with operating costs of Rp. 43 million. In the next process, Amrizal invited Ahmad Taufik and Sumiran, fellow journalists at the GIN media, to help him lobby the Merangin Police.
Long story short, the attempt to hold the detention of RH's husband failed even though he was assisted by a lawyer appointed by the Merangin Police investigator. Finally, the legal process against RH's husband went to court and he was sentenced to 1 year in prison.
Due to the failure of Amrizal and his friends, RH asked for the return of all operational funds given to them in the amount of Rp. 43 million [2]. Of course, if they are to be returned, they cannot return the operational funds in full because some of it has been used to pay for their lawyers and operations. Unfortunately, RH persisted in asking for the funds to be returned in full, which because it could not be fulfilled, he went to the police to make an LP on charges of embezzlement and fraud by the reported Amrizal and his friends.
Odd bin miraculous, only Ahmad Taufik and Sumiran were made suspects and are now being detained. Meanwhile, Amrizal as the maker of the agreement with RH and receiving operational funds was not a suspect in this case. Also, the lawyer appointed by the Merangin Police investigator was not prosecuted even though he was involved in the matter.
Based on this anomaly, the public should strongly suspect that this police report from RH was well used as a golden opportunity by individuals at the Merangin Police to avenge their savagery against GIN media friends because these friends often reveal and report on the PETI case which is indicated to be strongly affiliated. with individuals Kasatreskrim Merangin Police. The criminalization process was carried out so that the two journalists could be imprisoned.
When confirmed to the Merangin Police Chief, AKBP Dewa Ngakan Nyoman Arinata, and the former Merangin Police Chief, AKBP Irwan Andy Purnamawan, S.I.K, regarding this case, the two officials did not give any response until this news went up. WhatsApp messages were not answered, voice notes were not responded to, telephones also did not get a response like a good official in serving the people.
Likewise, when the editor contacted the Kasatreskrim AKP Indar Dwi Septian, his two contact numbers were inactive.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Feb 12, 2022
- Event Description
On February 12, a young man was taking part in a seemingly routine protest by the Aliansi Rakyat Petani (Alliance of People’s Farmers) about five kilometers from his home in Tada village in Central Sulawesi. Farmers and other local residents had been organizing almost daily protests since January 2021, demanding the revocation of the license for PT Trio Kencana, a mining company.
But things turned nasty that night. Protesters, angry that the governor had not kept his commitment to speak to them, blocked the provincial road with trucks. The police responded by deploying 15 trucks of their own and water cannons. The authorities turned off the electricity in the area. At around 11:30 p.m., local police started firing teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters blocking the Trans Sulawesi road. They arrested at least 59 protesters.
Protesters alleged that the police used live ammunition to disperse the rally. Nine minutes after midnight, the protesters found the body of Erfaldi Erwin Lahadado, a 21-year-old mechanic. He had been struck by gunfire on his right shoulder.
I checked Erfaldi’s Instagram account. It shows him dressed in a bright yellow jacket next to his Honda motorcycle. His Instagram portrayed the life of a young man: music, family, friends, but no sign of activism.
Why was he on the streets that night?
In August, the Central Sulawesi government had granted PT Trio Kencana a license to start digging for minerals in Kasimbar and South Tinombo districts in Parigi Moutong regency. It’s a huge area of 15,725 hectares, almost the size of Bandung or Washington, D.C. The land contains the homes, farms, schools, clinics and businesses – such as kiosks like the one run by Erfaldi’s mother – of 50,000 people. Parigi Moutong is also Central Sulawesi’s largest food-producing area.
PT Trio Kencana says that it is mining gold on the Kasimbar site and has promised “environmental protection, community service, and transparency” on its website, but it is not clear to local residents how these commitments are being kept. Villagers are concerned about the possibility that their land will be confiscated and are angry about ongoing exploration activities, as three mining pits in Kasimbar have flooded rice fields nearby.
Central Sulawesi, according to the Mining Advocacy Network, an Indonesian environmental group, is facing an ecological crisis because of excessive mining operations. The province has issued a total of 135 licenses over the last decade — 28 for an exploration phase and 107 others for operations already in production. The Mining Advocacy Network has called for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jakarta to revoke the license for this mining operation.
Among local residents’ chief complaints is that they say they were not consulted about the deal. They are afraid that more digging will pollute the soil and water in the area. Governor Rusdi Mastura promised on February 7 to meet with the affected communities. He has yet to do so. But he has called on the police to arrest “provocateurs.”
The Central Sulawesi police chief, Rudy Sufahriadi, has promised to investigate the fatal shooting. His team found 60 bullet casings at the scene and sent them for ballistic examination in Makassar, South Sulawesi, confirming the villagers’ claim about live ammunition. Many local residents are skeptical that the police will be held accountable. The police promised to announce the result in March.
Rosmawati, Erfaldi’s mother, has repeatedly asked the police and authorities to find the person who shot her son and bring them to justice. She is hoping that his death will be the last among the farmers and others struggling to protect their land and environment.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Feb 12, 2022
- Event Description
Translation types Text translation Source text 3,365 / 5,000 Translation results Komnas HAM Commissioner Beka Ulung Hapsara revealed the findings of the field after visiting Wadas Village, Bener District, Purworejo Regency on Saturday (12/2/2022). From the results in the field, his party said that it was true that there was violence perpetrated by the police against local residents. Traumatized residents "What we found was that there was violence perpetrated by the authorities, then residents were still traumatized," he said when contacted on Sunday, February 13. Komnas HAM also asked Ganjar to focus on trauma recovery for Wadas Village residents, especially for women and children. "It's also about security guarantees, no more intimidation, then no threats or coercion," he said. According to Beka, Ganjar accepted these proposals. "He (Ganjar) claimed responsibility for yesterday's incident and will follow up on Komnas HAM's advice," said Beka about the incident in Wadas Village. LBH's social media and activists were hacked. "This pattern of attacks such as hacking often happens to human rights defenders who are critical of public policies. This is not an ordinary crime such as illegal access or hacking, but this is a backlash that can endanger the lives of human rights defenders," said the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Institute. (LBH) Press Ade Wahyudin, quoted from Tempo. The initial hack took place against the Director of LBH Yogyakarta, Yogi Zul Fadhli on Saturday, February 12, 2022. At 15:34, Yogi received an incoming message from WhatsApp that contained his number being registered on a new device along with the WhatsApp code info. Yogi then opened the WhatsApp application and received a notification that his number was no longer registered on WhatsApp. According to WhatsApp, he had registered the number on another phone. Even though he was not registering his phone number on another device. Yogi is trying to take over his WhatsApp again. At 15:44, WhatsApp he was back. On the same day at a different time, the cellphone of a contact person for a press conference of a civil society network in solidarity with the Wadas residents was also hacked. Dean, the name of the owner of the cellphone, cannot open messages on WhatsApp with a locked description. Dean then decided to leave the WhatsApp group which consisted of the civil society network. The hack made it difficult for activists who were in solidarity with Wadas residents to communicate with each other. As a result, some group conversations are disabled. LBH Yogyakarta's Instagram cannot be accessed Previously, LBH Yogyakarta's Instagram account was also inaccessible on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 23.20 WIB. The account uploaded content about the arrest of Wadas Village residents by the police. Even though it was hacked, now the LBH Yogyakarta Instagram account has recovered. Ade does not want to conclude who is behind the hack, but the public can judge for themselves. "It is difficult to conclude who the perpetrator is. But in fact, there was an attack and it coincided with Wadas' advocacy," he said. LBH Yogyakarta has been accompanying Wadas residents who have refused to mine andesite rocks. Chaos ensued in Wadas Village at the beginning of last week. A number of Wadas residents were arrested because they insisted on refusing to have their land measured and released for andesite mining.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy
- HRD
- NGO, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Feb 9, 2022
- Event Description
Prominent Vietnamese environmentalist Nguy Thi Khanh is the latest activist in the country to be arrested on tax evasion charges, state media reported this week.
Khanh, who is the first Vietnamese ever to win the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018, was arrested last month in her home in Hanoi. State media did not confirm her detention until Feb. 9. Authorities searched her office and home and confiscated documents and several devices.
Khanh won the Goldman for her work with the Green Innovation and Development Center, an organization she founded which promotes sustainable development in the Southeast Asian country.
Her advocacy for green energy sometimes puts her crosswise to the Vietnamese government, which wants to increase the production of coal, the burning of which is a major contributor to climate change.
Two other activists were sentenced last month tax-related charges.
Dang Dinh Bach, leader of the Law and Policy of Sustainable Development Research Center, was sentenced to five years for tax evasion, while journalist Mai Phan Loi, who heads the Center for Media in Educating Community, received four years for tax fraud. Both were arrested in June 2021.
The Paris-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights said in a statement that the arrests of Bach and Loi were intended to prevent the creation of the Vietnam Domestic Advisory Group, which would have enabled activists to be independent civil society representatives in accordance with the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to work
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Feb 9, 2022
- Event Description
Koh Kong authorities have threatened to tear down shelters built by residents of Botum Sakor district on land the locals say was taken from them by sugarcane plantations run by CPP Senator Ly Yong Phat.
Local authorities in Kandol commune said about 100 villagers had built small shelters on state land in January. In a statement released February 9, the authorities threatened to demolish the structures soon.
Residents said the land was used by them before Ly Yong Phat’s Koh Kong Sugar and Koh Kong Plantations were granted the land in 2006 to grow sugarcane. The group said they were given no land or monetary compensation after being evicted.
Pheng Teng, a representative of the group who is being sued in court in relation to the land dispute, said they will not leave the land nor will they dismantle the shelters built on the land.
“The people are determined that they will not leave the land because they really have lost their land,” she said. “They are upset that the authorities took their land and gave it to the company without compensating them and are accusing them of already receiving compensation.”
She added residents were worried authorities could arrest them.
Touch Ngann said his family had three hectares of land that was taken by the companies in 2006, and that his family was threatened to not resist the clearings more than a decade ago.
“And at that time, we were too poor and dared not to protest,” he said.
“Now, we are protesting to get our land back. If it is not resolved properly for us, we will not move from this land. We will face the authorities.”
Botum Sakor district governor Hak Leng told VOD on Wednesday that the relevant authorities had already compensated the affected people.
There are numerous land disputes in Koh Kong and Kampong Speu provinces relating to forced evictions and clearing of communities’ land to make way for sugarcane plantations. In Preah Vihear, residents of Tbeng Meanchey district are similarly taking back land given to five Chinese-owned sugarcane companies, commonly referred to as Rui Feng, and are facing off with local officials who are instead trying to lease the land for rice cultivation.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Feb 9, 2022
- Event Description
Authorities in Myanmar’s Mandalay region on Wednesday detained nearly 20 people accused of participating in a “Silent Strike,” bringing the number of those arrested in connection with the nationwide anti-junta protest to more than 200 in recent days, according to sources.
Residents of Mandalay’s Mahar Aung Myae township told RFA’s Myanmar Service on Thursday that security forces blocked off streets for most of the previous day and arrested at least 19 people — including a Buddhist monk and several youth activist leaders.
Ashin Raza Dhama, the leader of the Mandalay Buddhist Monk Union, said junta forces searched Mahar Aung’s Sein Pan ward and detained “around 15 people.”
“In the evening, four leaders [who led] boycotts were taken,” he said of the youth activists, whose names were withheld due to concerns for their safety and that of their families.
“Today, I heard they are searching in Myaukpyin area the same way they did in Sein Pan,” he added.
Authorities also arrested a Buddhist monk from Mandalay’s Thingazar Monastery, alleging that he was involved in the protests.
Streets in Myanmar were largely empty on Feb. 1 as people across the country took part in the Silent Strike to protest the one-year anniversary of the military coup, despite a week of junta threats and arrests of organizers.
Public areas around the country were noticeably barren, except for occasional groups of young people holding flash protests. In the lead up to the anniversary of the Feb. 1, 2021, coup, authorities had warned of tough punishments — including life in prison — for anyone found applauding, honking or otherwise expressing support for the strike.
The movement marked the third Silent Strike since the military seized power, the others coming in March in the immediate aftermath of the putsch and in December on International Human Rights Day. In the past year, security forces have arrested more than 9,000 civilians and killed 1,546 — mostly during nonviolent anti-junta protests, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Residents of Mandalay said the junta is arresting protest leaders in the region to tighten security ahead of the 75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of Union Day on Feb. 12. The holiday commemorates the 1947 signing of the Panglong Agreement by ethnic majority Burmans and the country’s minorities to form a union following Myanmar’s independence from Britain on Jan. 4 a year later.
Sources expressed concern for the safety of the four protest leaders who were arrested Wednesday, who they said are on the junta’s “wanted list.”
One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal, said that arresting the youth leaders will not end the resistance against the military regime.
“The revolution will not be stopped. It may take some time to recoup, but it will be restarted. The protesters will come out again,” he said.
The source called on more people to participate in the movement against the junta, saying that the political situation in the country has worsened.
“Popular participation has declined. We no longer have safehouses, and it has become more challenging to organize,” he said.
“We hope nothing happen to [the leaders]. I feel bad because they are very important for us.”
Tayzar San, a protest leader in Mandalay, said the junta’s violent crackdown on dissent will be its downfall.
“People throughout the country are fully motivated and in the mood for revolution,” he said.
“The people’s participation in the Silent Strike during the anniversary of the coup is evidence of that. The people of Myanmar will push back when the military tries to push them down.” Dozens arrests over silent strike
Prior to Wednesday, the junta said that authorities had arrested 193 people throughout the country between Jan. 27 and Feb. 8 for allegedly offering support for or encouraging others to take part in the strike by committing to close their shops on social media.
The announcement said that it will charge the alleged strike supporters under the Counter-Terrorism Act and the Electronic Communications Act, and that those found guilty of violating the laws are subject to having their property confiscated.
Family members of those arrested told RFA on Thursday that they were not talking about participation in the strike when they posted messages about closing shops, but just writing about how they intended to observe the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, which also falls on Feb. 1.
A woman who declined to be named said she hadn’t had contact with her husband since his arrest for allegedly closing his shop.
“We are ethnic Chinese. We announced on Facebook that we would close our shops on Feb. 1 according to New Year tradition,” she said. “Now my husband has been arrested, and I am in trouble taking care of three kids.”
A fortune teller in Yangon named Thar Htet Hsann was also among those detained in recent days.
His wife said he was arrested for allegedly participating in the strike but that he always takes the day off on Mondays.
“He closes his fortune teller shop every Monday. He used to call me when he is coming home, but he didn’t that evening,” she said. “Later, I saw something about his arrest on the news on TV. I have two children. They are still very young, and I don’t know what to do.”
‘Instilling fear’ through arrests
The spokesperson of a social media watchdog group in Myanmar said the junta works with popular pro-military influencers to monitor the activities of users.
“There are so many accounts of people named Kyaw Zwar, Han Nyein Oo or Thazin Oo on Telegram,” he said, referring to a popular social media platform.
“We found out that they are military supporters. We found that they are monitoring activities on these channels and taking actions by initiating these arrests.”
Attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the arrests related to the silent strike went unanswered on Thursday.
A court attorney who works on human rights violation cases in Yangon told RFA that if a person runs their own private business and independently pays municipal taxes, the authorities cannot arrest them for closing their shop.
“The arrests are illegal and unlawful. They are using the law to oppress the people. I believe they are just using the laws to limit individual freedom,” the attorney said.
A Facebook user and youth activist in Yangon said the military council is trying to intimidate its opposition with the arrests.
“They are trying to instill fear among young people from using internet,” he said. “We will make sure they cannot govern us. We will continue the resistance online.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Feb 8, 2022
- Event Description
Local opposition to a mine on Indonesia’s Java Island, and the heavy-handed police crackdown on protesters, has turned the national spotlight on a spate of development projects touted by the government as being of “strategic importance.”
The conflict centers on a planned mine that will supply the nearby Bener dam, under construction since 2018, with andesite rock. About a quarter of the village of Wadas in Purworejo district, in the province of Central Java, is slated to be mined — something that locals have strongly opposed since 2013.
But while their protests have simmered for nearly a decade, the issue only exploded onto the national stage this month: On Feb. 8, hundreds of police officers arrived in Wadas, claiming they were there to escort officials from the land agency who wanted to demarcate the 114-hectare (282-acre) mining area within the village.
The heavy police presence triggered a clash with the villagers, resulting in the arrest of 67 people, 13 of them children. Police had previously arrested 11 and 12 villagers, respectively, in similar confrontations in 2019 and 2021.
A preliminary investigation by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) found that the police used physical violence in the latest incident in Wadas. It said this had caused trauma among some villagers, including children, with several people fleeing their homes and not returning yet.
The police have refuted Komnas HAM’s findings, saying they only “forcefully arrested” the villagers without resorting to violence.
A villager, who asked to be identified by the pseudonym Siji, said he was chased by plainclothes assailants when he was praying at a mosque in Wadas. They assaulted him at his house, then handcuffed him and five other villagers before taking them to the local police station.
Waliyah, another villager, told Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo during the latter’s visit to Wadas on Feb. 13 that her husband was among the villagers arrested during the clash.
“We’re scared, sir. My husband was arrested without knowing what the problem is,” Waliyah said. “Now [he’s] home and if [he] sees the police or strangers in black outfits, [he] gets scared. Every day [he] locks himself in the house. The doors are always locked. [My] children are also traumatized, sir.” ‘Escort investors’
While the Wadas case is one of many land conflicts in Indonesia in which the security forces have been accused of cracking down on local communities in favor of state or corporate interests, it’s one of the few that has shot to national prominence.
In addition to prompting visits from the governor and the rights commission, the latest clash has also seen representatives from the presidential palace meet with the villagers. And while they’ve promised to convey the villagers’ grievances to the president, longtime observers of this and other conflicts say it’s precisely the Widodo administration’s unrelenting push for infrastructure projects that’s fueling these problems.
Wahyu Yun Santoso, an environmental law expert at Gadjah Mada University, linked the Wadas conflict to Widodo’s pro-investment statements, particularly one he issued in December 2021, when he ordered the national police chief to fire any local police chiefs who fail to “escort investors.”
“There’s an indication that the event in Wadas is linked to the president’s statement, coupled with the fact that the Bener dam project is a national strategic project and thus has become a priority,” Wahyu said.
The conflict has also prompted 55 academics from 31 universities and research institutions across Indonesia to issue a joint call for the government to reconsider the dam project as a part of the slate of national strategic projects.
“The urgency of this project has to be reevaluated, especially with violent acts that come with its process,” they said in a press statement. “The state is obligated to provide protection and fulfill human rights.”
Dewi Kartika, secretary-general of the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA), said the Wadas case is the latest example of how the government’s national strategic projects result in land grabbing and conflicts.
“The president has to make sure that all national strategic projects don’t eliminate people’s rights to their lands and space to live,” she said.
The Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) said the conflict highlights the failure of the Bener dam project to involve the public in the decision-making process. Instead, the government has pushed this and other projects from the top down, often ignoring the communities most likely to be affected, the NGO said.
“As a result, there’s no space for the public to learn [about the project] and voice their objection against a national strategic project,” ICEL said in a statement. “Furthermore, public involvement is also not effective and too late, seeing how it’s almost certain that the project will proceed.”
ICEL said it’s important for the Widodo administration to guarantee community rights to decide on a project being undertaken in their area, as well as to strengthen public participation in the country’s development. ‘Nothing’s been violated’
Senior government officials have indicated the mine project will go ahead, regardless of the current furor.
Ganjar, the Central Java governor, who is reportedly eyeing a presidential run in 2024, declined to respond directly to the Wadas villagers’ calls for the mine permit to be revoked, calling it a “technical issue.”
Mahfud M.D., the chief minister for legal and security affairs, was more explicit about where the Widodo administration stands, saying the dam project will continue. This time, he added, there will be dialog with the villagers, with the government taking a “persuasive” approach rather than a repressive one.
Mahfud also rejected allegations that the dam project violates any laws, in response to protesters’ concerns about the lack of an environmental impact analysis.
“[That] has been met,” Mahfud said. “Nothing’s been violated.”
The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), however, has noted that the planned mine doesn’t have its own environmental impact analysis. Instead, it’s bundled into the environmental impact analysis for the dam.
Halik Sandera, director of the Walhi chapter in Yogyakarta, the nearest large city to Wadas, said the mine should have a separate environmental impact analysis since mining is a different activity from dam construction. Mining activity also requires a host of other permits, including for exploration and post-mining activity, he added.
The initial presentation by project officials to villagers was “focused more on the benefit of the dam, and what a dam is,” Halik said. “They didn’t inform [the villagers] in detail about what the impact [of the mine] on the people would be.”
The Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), which is assisting the Wadas protesters, said the villagers have never been opposed to the dam project itself. The dam, which is expected to be completed by 2024, the final year of the Widodo administration, would provide electricity for three districts, including Purworejo, where Wadas is located.
What they oppose, said LBH Yogyakarta campaign official Dhanil Al Ghifary, is the planned andesite mine, which would destroy their farms.
Siswanto, a Wadas villager, said they’re also concerned about the mine’s environmental impact.
“Mining will threaten the safety of the villagers of Wadas and its surrounding areas,” he said. “The hills of Wadas are in an area that’s prone to landslides.”
Siswanto said the villagers remain opposed to the planned mine, even if the project is touted as being for economic development.
“What’s the use of supporting the economy,” he said, “if people are going to be sacrificed?”
Head of the Research Division of the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), Era Hareva Pasarua, revealed that approximately 25 residents of Wadas Village, Bener District, Purworejo Regency were transported to the Bener Police Station. Era said that one of the legal team from LBH Yogyakarta, Dhanil Al Ghifary and Julian was also arrested. "About 25 people were brought to the Bener Police, including the legal team from LBH Yogyakarta
One of the prisoners was the artist and activist Bambang Adyatmata or commonly called Yayak Yatmaka.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Artist, Land rights defender, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Feb 8, 2022
- Event Description
The activist group Thaluwang (“Through the palace”) conducted a poll yesterday (8 February 2022) at Siam Paragon shopping mall on whether people think they face trouble from royal motorcades, but were obstructed by mall security and the police.
From 17.00 yesterday (8 February 2022), two activists stood in front of the shopping mall’s ground floor escalator holding a piece of paper saying “Do you think royal motorcades cause problems?” on which people could place a sticker to cast their vote. They later moved to the fountain courtyard connecting Siam Paragon with Siam Centre and the Siam BTS station, as well as to Sirivannavari Siam Paragon, the flagship store for the Sirivannavari brand, owned by the King’s youngest daughter, Princess Sirivannavari.
Ahead of their activity, Siam Paragon closed the doors on the fountain courtyard side. Mall personnel also stood in front of the activists, as well as making announcements that the mall is a private area and permission must be granted before any event can take place or the management will press charges. They also followed the activists while they were inside the mall, but despite the blockade, people continued to vote on the activists’ poll.
After completing their activity inside the mall, the activists walked to nearby Sa Pathum Palace, Princess Sirindhorn’s residence, intending to deliver the result of the poll. They were blocked by police officers near the palace entrance. Plainclothes officers took hold of one of the activists from behind and tore the cardboard poll sign out of her hands. Nearby supporters later demanded that the officers apologize to the activist. The activists ended their event by standing in front of the entrance to Sa Pathum Palace and giving the three-finger ‘Hunger Games’ salute.
Tawan, one of the activists, said that they wanted to raise questions about the problems caused by royal motorcades, such as during Princess Sirindhorn’s visit to Nakhon Sawan, prior to which police officers harassed local activists, while the Department of Livestock Development had to clear stray dogs from the area. Roads are also closed during a royal motorcade, wasting people’s time and causing loss of income.
Tawan said that the activity was successful, since they have already communicated that royal motorcades cause many problems for people, and hope that the relevant authorities will be working on solving the issues. She also said that the police’s attempt to block their poll shows that they are afraid and did not want these issues to be discussed.
Even before the beginning of the pro-democracy movement in 2020, Thai netizens had begun to voice their frustrations at road closures caused by passing royal motorcades. The hashtag #ขบวนเสด็จ or ‘Royal Motorcade,’ trended on Twitter in October 2019, after a motorcade caused a traffic jam around Victory Monument in Bangkok during the evening rush hour, even halting ambulances. The hashtag appeared again in January 2020, with many tweets expressing how their daily routines are affected by these motorcades.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Feb 5, 2022
- Event Description
The Cambodian authorities should immediately stop abusing public health measures to repress workers’ right to strike and other basic rights, Human Rights Watch said today.
Since the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld (LRSU) went on strike in December 2021 to call for the reinstatement of workers laid off earlier in the year, Cambodian authorities have arbitrarily arrested, detained, and prosecuted union activists. Most recently, the authorities have sought to justify these criminal charges as Covid-19-related measures. On February 5, 2022, the police arrested six union members at Phnom Penh’s NagaWorld casino as they left a Covid-19 testing site and baselessly charged three of them with obstructing the government’s Covid-19 efforts.
“The Cambodian authorities are stooping to new lows by bringing criminal charges in the guise of public health measures to end a strike,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s persecution of union activists appears aimed at blunting the growing unity and strength of Cambodia’s union movement and their support for the NagaWorld strikers.”
On February 4, Cambodia’s Health Ministry ordered several hundred workers engaged in a strike action outside the NagaWorld casino to take a Covid-19 test, after one striking union member (who had last participated in the strike on January 15) tested positive. The authorities said that anyone who tested negative would have to self-isolate for seven days, and that if they tested positive, they would be sent to a Covid-19 treatment center. Between February 5 and 6, over 400 protesting workers appeared as ordered at the designated testing site on Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island (Koh Pich). Since the strike began, protesters have protected themselves and others by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
The six arrested on February 5 were Seng Vannarith, Choub Channath, Sao Sambath, Ouk Sophorn, Touch Danet, and Em Kunthea. The police released Sophorn, Danet, and Kunthea later that night, but held Vannarith, Channath, and Sambath at the Phnom Penh police headquarters. On February 9, the Phnom Penh court charged the latter three with “obstruction of Covid-19 measures” (article 11 of Cambodia’s Covid-19 law), which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. The court ordered their pretrial detention at Phnom Penh’s Police Judiciaire prison facility, which in November 2020 was at about 170 percent capacity.
On February 5, the authorities issued summonses for four other workers for questioning about alleged obstruction of Covid-19 measures. The four had followed government orders by getting tested for Covid-19 and self-isolating after testing negative. One of the four told VOD News that she was “shocked” to receive a summons because she said she “didn’t incite people to block testing.” Another feared that she would be found in violation of Covid-19 measures if she left self-isolation to appear in court.
“Throwing workers into overcrowded jails that are hotbeds for Covid-19 as they await criminal trial shows that the government’s concern is not about public health but about ending one of Cambodia’s longest industrial actions in years,” Robertson said.
On December 18, LRSU began the strike in accordance with international labor law, calling for the reinstatement of 365 employees previously dismissed as part of the mass layoff of 1,329 workers by Phnom Penh’s NagaWorld casino in April 2021. Among those dismissed were union leaders. The authorities called the strike “illegal” on the basis of a court order issued on December 16 that violated the right to strike protected under international law. The authorities ordered protesters to resume work, contending that if they did not, NagaWorld would be permitted to terminate them. The government has failed in achieving a fair resolution in the labor disputes between NagaWorld and the union.
Since December 31, the authorities have arrested dozens of LRSU members who participated in the strike, and already jailed eight, including the union president, Chhim Sithar, on “incitement” charges. They are held at Phnom Penh’s Correctional Centers 1 and 2.
The Cambodian government adopted the Law on Measures to Prevent the Spread of Covid-19 and other Serious, Dangerous and Contagious Diseases in March 2020. Human Rights Watch has repeatedly highlighted the threat the law poses to human rights in Cambodia because the authorities can easily abuse its overly broad and vague provisions. The law also fails to provide any independent oversight and procedural safeguards, and provides disproportionate fines and penalties of up to 20 years in prison for alleged violations of Covid-19 related measures.
The United Nations special rapporteur on Cambodia reported that, between March and October 2021, the police arrested over 700 people based on allegations of having violated Covid-19 measures. Some of the alleged violations of the Covid-19 law involved people making critical commentary on social media about the government’s handling of the pandemic.
Cambodia is bound by Convention No. 87 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right to strike. The ILO tripartite Committee on Freedom of Association held that prohibitions of strikes during a national emergency, such as the Covid-19 public health crisis, should be limited in time, strictly necessary, and proportionate. The committee also stated that the “responsibility for suspending a strike on the grounds of public health should not lie with the government, but with an independent body which has the confidence of all parties concerned.”
The LRSU protesters’ precautionary health measures made the denial of the strike and the subsequent arrests unnecessary, excessive, and disproportionate, violating their internationally protected right to strike, Human Rights Watch said.
“Using public health measures to repress workers undermines the public’s faith in the government’s actions against Covid-19,” Robertson said. “UN agencies in Cambodia, the ILO, and foreign embassies should press the government to immediately and unconditionally release the detained union activists and stop abusing health measures for political ends.”
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Cambodia: 16 more labour rights defenders arrested, including union president, Cambodia: labour rights defenders prevented from leaving strike site, 9 arrested, charged and questioned, Cambodia: labour rights defenders prevented from staging peaceful strike, Cambodia: Ministry of Health orders COVID-19 test for all protesting labour rights defenders
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Feb 5, 2022
- Event Description
Philippine authorities must drop their legal threats against the independent news outlet Rappler and allow the press to work without fear of legal harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
On Saturday, February 5, Lorraine Marie T. Badoy, a spokesperson for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, a body tasked with responding to and raising awareness about communist activities in the country, published a statement on her official Facebook page saying that the task force “is taking legal action” against Rappler, according to news reports.
The statement accused Rappler of spreading “disinformation” in a January 31 article fact-checking statements by Badoy. She also said the task force would act against Facebook for allowing Rappler and Vera Files, the two local news outlets approved by Facebook to serve as fact-checkers, to “abuse the immense powers of [that] designation” and harm national security.
Gemma Mendoza, head of digital strategy at Rappler, told CPJ in a phone interview that the outlet had not received any official legal complaint, and that it was not clear under which law it could be charged.
“Philippine authorities must drop their frivolous legal threat against Rappler and stop harassing the independent news group and its employees,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Even in its waning days, the Duterte administration will stop at nothing to silence one of the Philippines’ most credible independent news outlets.”
The January 31 Rappler article labeled as “false” statements by Badoy claiming that members of the Makabayan Bloc minority political coalition included operatives affiliated with “communist guerillas.”
Previously, in March 2021, the task force accused Rappler of being a “friend and ally” of communist rebels over a separate fact-check, according to news reports.
The government practice of claiming journalists and activists are associated with banned communist or leftist groups is known as “red-tagging” in the Philippines, and has resulted in the wrongful criminal suits, detentions, and deaths, according to Rappler.
CPJ sent requests for comment to Badoy and the task force’s official Facebook pages, but did not receive any replies.
Last year, Rappler founder Maria Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to safeguard press freedom amid legal threats in the Philippines. She also received CPJ’s Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award in 2018.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Feb 3, 2022
- Event Description
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Voeun Veasna, a former monk who was involved in forestry activism, to two years in prison for incitement over criticisms he posted on Facebook.
On Thursday, judge Chhun Davy said Veasna, who posted online under the account Kra’nhung Prey Lang, was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 2 million riel for his posts in April 2021.
Veasna was extradited from Thailand in November for the crime.
During the morning session, judge Davy asked Veasna whether he had any response to the allegations against him.
“I ask not to answer because I don’t have a lawyer,” he said. After Veasna refused to give an answer, the judge asked the prosecution to make its final statement.
Deputy prosecutor Mut Dara said posts were inciting and had affected the government.
Veasna had posted a poem under a photo of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s grandson criticizing the government over land disputes and the destruction of forests.
Veasna again told the court that he had nothing to add since the court had not invited his lawyer. Judge Davy responded that the court had given him a month to find representation.
“If the court receives a request from a lawyer, the court will invite the lawyer to come for the trial,” Davy said. “No lawyer submitted a letter to defend the case.”
Davy issued the verdict following a 15-minute break.
Veasna continued to insist that the court had failed to invite his lawyer and called the decision unjust. He refused to thumbprint the decision, saying the court was “remote-controlled.”
Defense lawyer Sam Sokong said he represented Veasna in a separate case for plotting, but not in the incitement case.
Licadho spokesperson Am Sam Ath said the sentence was too harsh considering the crime.
Veasna was extradited from Thailand alongside Voeung Samnang, a former opposition commune deputy chief.
A monk, Bor Bet, faced extradition soon after, but was released and is now a refugee in Switzerland.
Dozens of opposition activists have faced trial over support for the outlawed CNRP, which was once the country’s main opposition party.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Feb 3, 2022
- Event Description
RSF has confirmed that, in the continuing relentless crackdown on the media, Thu Rein Kyaw (ကိုသူရိန်ကျော် in Burmese) was arrested when soldiers raided and searched his apartment in Yangon’s Insein township on the afternoon of 3 February. Located in northwestern Yangon, Insein is notorious for being the site of Myanmar’s largest prison, where at least 14 journalists are currently detained.
Thu Rein Kyaw become one of the military’s first victims after they seized power in a coup d’état on 1 February 2021. While covering a demonstration the next day in support of the Tatmadaw, as Myanmar’s armed forces are known, he was badly beaten by unidentified individuals, and photographs circulated online showing his injuries, including an eye injury.
According to RSF’s press freedom barometer, his arrest has brought the number of media professionals currently detained in Myanmar to 60.
Damning toll
“We demand the immediate release of Thu Rein Kyaw and all the other journalists who are paying with their freedom for having tried to inform the world about the tragedy taking place in Myanmar,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “The international community, civil society and businessmen who have dealings with Myanmar cannot be indifferent to the damning list of arrests of journalists. It is high time to prevent Myanmar’s military junta from completing its normalisation process.”
After last year’s coup, RSF embarked on a major advocacy campaign whose targets including multinationals operating in Myanmar. RSF wrote to 15 corporations urging them to end all activity that directly or indirectly supported the junta. Several of them, including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Voltalia, Telenor and Ericsson, finally announced that they plan to pull out of Myanmar in the near future.
Myanmar is ranked 140th out of 180 countries in RSF’s latest World Press Freedom Index, which was compiled in early 2021, before the biggest surge in press freedom violations.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Raid, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Feb 2, 2022
- Event Description
At least 9 activists in Nakhon Sawan Province have reported visits and intimidation by police officers throughout the past week ahead of Princess Sirindhorn’s visit to the province on Monday (7 February 2022).
Thai Lawyers for Human rights (TLHR) said that members of a vocational school student network in the province have been visited by police officers several times since 2 February 2022, and that they have been threatened by the police.
One of the members said that they have faced regular surveillance, such as in December 2021 and January 2022, when they were followed by police officers while setting up a table for people to sign a petition to repeal the royal defamation law at a local park. They said that police officers are now calling their parents and threatening to arrest them, causing several members to be reprimanded by their families for participating in these activities.
Ice, 19, said that police officers visited his family’s house on 2 February 2022. The house is his address according to the household register, but he does not live there. The police met his aunt and uncle and showed them a picture of him participating in a demonstration, telling them that he could be arrested for joining such activity. The police then called his uncle again on 4 February 2022, telling him that they wanted Ice to move his household registration into Mueang District, Nakhon Sawan, so that it would be easy for the police to monitor his activity.
Another 19-year-old student also said that police officers have been trying to track him down since 30 January 2022. He said that officers went to his relative’s house, which is his registered address. The house is currently for sale, so the officers called the number on the for sale sign, and asked his relative whether he is home and asked to meet him.
The student said that while getting a call from the police caused concerns, his family has not forbidden him from joining protests. He insisted he will continue his activity, since he believes it is his right to do so.
Another member of the network said that he received a call from an officer at the Mueang Nakhon Sawan Police Station, who asked him whether he knows Princess Sirindhorn will be visiting the province and whether he and his friends will be doing anything during her visit. He said he told the officer that he did not know that the princess would be visiting the province until the officer told him.
The member said that police officers previously called him several times to check on his activities, such as during the Naresuan University graduation ceremony in late 2021. He said that he has gotten used to police surveillance, but he still thinks of it as intimidation and said that his friends who have not faced this before, as well as their parents, might be frightened.
One more member of the group said that a police officer also called him on 2 February 2022 and asked him whether the network would be doing anything during Princess Sirindhorn’s visit.
On Monday (7 February 2022), activist Phimchanok Jaihong posted on Facebook that around 14 – 15 plainclothes officers went to her house, which TLHR said is also a gathering place for activists. The police claimed that they were not visiting Phimchanok. However, they stood around the alley in front of her house, and TLHR speculated that they were monitoring the activists’ activities.
Phimchanok also said that she had been followed by an officer since she left Bangkok, since she noticed that one of the passengers on the bus she took from Bangkok to Nakhon Sawan was also among the officers outside her house.
Princess Sirindhorn visited Wat Si Utum Phon temple in Muang district, Nakhon Sawan, in a personal capacity on Monday (7 February 2022) to attend a ceremony in which the Chofa, a decorative ornament often seen at the top of Thai temples, is raised above the roof of the ordination hall.
Previously, on 3 January 2022, Kantapat, 17, a student activist in Buriram, was summoned to meet the police and made to sign a paper affirming that he would not interfere with an upcoming royal procession of Princess Sirindhorn on 5 January.
Kantapat told Prachatai that he received a phone call from a police officer on 2 January asking him not to stage any activity on 5 January. The police also asked that he go to the police station to sign the daily log and allow police to confirm his whereabouts via telephone at least twice a day during the 3-5 January period.
The activist said that he had no plan to organise any activity during that time and was instead preparing for a midterm exam that was scheduled for after the long new year’s holiday. Despite this, plainclothes police reportedly kept an eye on him at his home and school.
- Impact of Event
- 9
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to privacy
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Feb 2, 2022
- Event Description
The firm stance of the Pekanbaru Police Chief Kombes Pol Dr Pria Budi, S.I.K, M.H was awaited by the people of Riau in particular and the people of Indonesia in general.
Why not, it is important that the Police Chief's firm stance is immediately taken for the sake of upholding the rule of law in following up the alleged criminalization of journalist Rudi Yanto and activist Larshen Yunus which was allegedly carried out by his subordinates, Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of Pekanbaru Police Commissioner Andrie Setiawan, SH, SIK, and three investigators of Pekanbaru Police Ipda Petrus Situmorang, SH, Iptu Holder Situmorang, SH and Brigadier Novriadi, SH.
The Pekanbaru Police Chief stated that he had received reports of alleged criminalization of activists and journalists reported by activist Larshen Yunus and Wartakontras.com journalist Rudi Yanto who reported the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for Pekanbaru Police Commissioner Andrie Setiawan, SH, SIK, and three Pekanbaru Police investigators Ipda Petrus Situmorang, SH, Iptu Holder Situmorang, SH and Brigadier Novriadi, SH.
"We are following up, checking the truth of the report," said Pol Kombes Dr Pria Budi, S.I.K, M.H to wartakontras.com, Friday (11/2/2022) when confirmed via WhatsApp (WA) message.
Moreover, the criminalization of activist Larshen Yunus and journalist Rudi Yanto was carried out when two well-known youths were active in voicing the interests of many people in carrying out their duties as Agents of Change and Agents of Control.
Instead, they are protected and even criminalized when they are in the public space of the Riau DPRD People's Building.
If, the illegal practice of criminalization is continued and continues to be carried out, it will certainly tarnish the image of the Pekanbaru Police Chief who always maintains the good name of the Police Institution.
A multi-generational activist Larshen Yunus is an Anti-Corruption Activist and Activist who is well-known for caring for the poor and defending the oppressed.
Larshen Yunus, a well-known activist from Riau, is an Alumni of the Vocational School of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and an Alumni of Sospol Unri. Larshen Yunus is also the Chairman of the GAMARI Central Presidium (PP) for five terms and the Head of the Satya Wicaksana Law Office.
Journalist Rudi Yanto is a journalist and editor-in-chief of Wartakontras.com who has been a journalist for 12 years working in the press sector, which is the fourth pillar of democracy. Rudi, who is a former Riau Haluan Daily Journalist, has a Journalist Competency Test Certificate (UKW) from the Press Council.
Not only that, Rudi even has a Digital Media Reporter Certificate from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of the Republic of Indonesia. Then, Rudi Yanto joined the Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI), which is the oldest journalist organization in Indonesia. Along with the euphoria and excitement of the commemoration of the National Press Day (HPN) which falls on February 9, 2022 in Kendari, South Sulawesi, journalists in Riau have been criminalized.
The alleged criminalization of journalists and activists in Riau originated from the Riau Provincial DPRD's State Civil Apparatus (ASN) on behalf of Ferry Sasfriadi with a report of Entrance without Permit and Vandalism in the Honorary Board of the Riau DPRD. This report must be proven in the name of the law, especially since this report is clearly slanderous against journalists and activists. It is clearly suspected that it was engineered by the Pekanbaru Police investigators, allegedly on the orders of the Riau DPRD Secretariat Official and Riau DPRD Members in an effort to criminalize activists and journalists.
“The reporter must be able to prove, who saw the destruction? with what tool did he do it? for what purpose do they do this? these are activists and journalists of Agents of Change and Agents of Control who voice the interests of the community at large," said Dr Yudi Krismen as the Legal Counsel for the Reported Party who is the Doctor of Criminal Law, the Padjadjaran University Alumni.
Journalist Rudi Yanto, one of the reported parties, stated that the evidence of the report against him was slander because there was no evidence and witnesses, let alone CCTV evidence of vandalism, such as the article alleged.
Then, the evidence of this report is slander, namely who the reporter to the Pekanbaru Police has different information between the Riau DPRD internal party, especially the Pekanbaru Police Investigator.
“The Pekanbaru Police investigator who examined me, Ipda Petrus Situmorang, S.H, stated that the reporter was a BK staff. In fact, we already have permission from the Riau DPRD BK Expert Staff," explained Rudi.
However, this Unri Faperika Alumni continued, in the news in online media that attached a photo of the evidence of the report, it explained that the complainant was an ASN. In a different way, the Head of Public Relations of the Riau DPRD, Raja Faisal, said in the press conference that the reporter was the security section of the Riau DPRD. The security section of the Riau DPRD is security and the Riau DPRD security is not ASN.
"From here, it's clear that it's not true, for just who the reporter is, their information is different from one another. I strongly suspect that the five witnesses are false witnesses," said Rudi, who already has a Journalist Competency Test Certification from the Press Council.
According to the report at the Riau DPRD People's Building, investigator Ipda Petrus Situmorang, SH said that his party had examined five witnesses before asking for their statements.
"We asked the five witnesses, what are they trying to do?, even though we were both in the room, the CCTV footage of the Riau DPRD BK room was leaked to journalists, in the video it was clear that we did not do any damage at all. In fact, I was doing my reporting duty which was protected by the Press Law, but instead I was criminalized like this,” said Rudi.
In the process of his investigation regarding the invitation for an ordinary request for clarification on February 2, 2022, Rudi was questioned by Pekanbaru Police Investigator Ipda Petrus Situmorang, SH, who was not at all humanistic and seemed to take sides with the reporter who did not uphold the principle of presumption of innocence. abusively while smoking and intimidating him into making a confession according to the allegations. So, much of what the investigator wrote often did not match the results of my answer.
“Because of the inhumane behavior of the investigators, using abusive language while smoking cigarettes in examining me, examining me like I am a criminal and totally inconsistent with POLRI'S PRECISION. So, we have reported the investigators to the Head of the Propam Riau Police, the Pekanbaru Police Chief and the Pekanbaru Propam Headquarters. We have sent a copy to the Head of the Criminal Investigation Investigation Bureau of the Police, and Commission III of the DPR RI and other related parties," said Rudi, who is a member of the Riau PWI.
In fact, the evidence of this case was engineered and forced, ready for us to be examined on Wednesday (2/2/2022) and immediately went up for investigation. Thursday (3/3/2022). The process for the title of the case is questionable because it has not been notified at all to the reported party and his legal counsel. Then, a notification letter for the start of the investigation was sent to the Pekanbaru Kejari with a letter dated February 9, 2022, which was signed by Andrie Setiawan, SH, S.I.K as Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Pekanbaru Police.
"That in this case the Pekanbaru Police must prioritize Restorative Justice first, as mandated by the Indonesian National Police Regulation Number 8 of 2021. And that has not been done at all," said Dr Yudi Krismen.
It is clear that the illegal practice of criminalizing journalists and activists is a legal process that was engineered and forced by the Pekanbaru Police, allegedly at the instigation of Riau DPRD Officials and Riau DPRD Members.
Because the evidence of the CCTV footage that was leaked by the Riau DPRD to journalists, it is clear that we never did any damage in accordance with the article that was alleged, because we did not do any damage, we carried out our duty to cover coverage that was protected by the Press Law, not protected but I was instead criminalized.
“In fact, my report at the Riau Police seems to have been frozen. The secretary of the Riau DPRD until now has not been investigated at all as the reported party. The Secretariat should have been examined two weeks ago, said the investigator, I as the Reporting Party will be notified if the reported party is summoned. However, in fact, until now there has been no follow-up information, this clearly proves that the law is sharp downwards and blunts upwards," explained Rudi.
"I have written to the Riau Police Chief and the Indonesian President Joko Widodo asking that the rule of law be enforced, there should be no difference like what I am experiencing right now, the law is sharp downwards and blunt upwards which clearly contradicts POLRI PRECISION. Stop criminalizing journalists and activists. However, until now there has been no response from the Riau Police Chief at all,” said Rudi.
He continued, the issue of discrimination and criminalization of journalists and activists. Journalist Rudi Yanto and activist Larshen Yunus wrote to the Riau Police Chief and President Jokowi.
“We hope that the rule of law will be enforced and stop the criminalization of journalists and activists. Don't, because what I reported to the Riau DPRD Secretary, Muflihun, was privileged to him, as is happening now," said Rudi.
Moreover, before being reported, journalist Rudi Yanto was expelled from the Riau DPRD Building on Thursday (12/23/2021) and was accused by the Secretary of the Council (Sekwan) of the Riau DPRD, Muflihun of damaging, tearing apart and accused of stealing by stating that there were items missing in the office of the Board of Directors. The honor (BK) of the Riau DPRD when journalist Rudi Yanto carried out coverage on December 15, 2021 with Activist Larshen Yunus who was the resource person, Senior Researcher of Formappi Riau reporting rogue members of DPRD Riau lazy to work.
In his accusation, Sekwan stated that all of this was recorded on CCTV and journalist Rudi Yanto had been reported on behalf of the Riau DPRD institution to the Police. However, in fact the journalist Rudi Yanto and the activist Larshen Yunus were only reported on December 29, 2021.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Feb 1, 2022
- Event Description
Royal defamation case defendants indicted for reading a statement in German and wearing a crop top said that they were unable to obtain passports because of their ongoing court cases.
On 1 February, Ravisara Eksgool, who recently received a scholarship to study overseas, posted on Facebook that her request for a new passport was denied, reportedly because the case against her was a matter of national security.
Ravisara is one of 13 people indicted on lèse majesté and sedition charges under Sections 112 and 116 of the Thai Criminal Code for participating in a protest in front of the German Embassy in Bangkok on 26 October 2020 to demand monarchy reform. On that day, she read a statement in German.
Sainam (pseudonym), an underage youth charged with royal defamation for attending a ‘fashion show’ protest, was reportedly denied a passport as well. On 28 January 2020, he went to the show wearing a crop top. A message painted on his exposed belly stated that King Vajiralongkorn was not his father.
According to Sainam, he went to obtain passports with three other family members and his was the only application rejected. The Consular Affairs Department was reportedly asked by Yannawa District Police Office, the station that brought 112 charges, not to issue a passport.
On 8 February, Prachatai contacted the Yannawa police station to clarify matters but received no response. No way out
On 7 February, Ravisara posted another Facebook message stating that she had petitioned the Southern Bangkok Court to challenge the decision to deny her a passport. According to Ravisara, the Court ruled that travelling abroad violated her bail conditions and that a 2-year scholarship would result in her fleeing the country.
She was awarded a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship to pursue a Masters Degree in the management of non-profit organization in Germany, a degree that she finds an aspiration from her desire to help out the work of the Thai Human Rights Lawyers (TLHR).
“As for the passport, when I went to renew it, it did not cross my mind that they would reject my application. I didn’t know. When they did, I felt a bit down. But later I felt angry; they are treating me like a criminal when I haven’t done anything.”
While no official policy has been reportedly announced, the passport and travel ban has frequently been imposed on critics of the Prayut-administration and the monarchy.
According to BBC Thai, Dechathorn Bamrungmuang, a.k.a. HOCKHACKER, a member of the band Rap Against Dictatorship, found on 25 November that he could not get a new passport because his name had been placed on a ‘watchlist’ after he voiced criticism of the government,
In a BBC Thai interview on 18 November, Pol Col Tossaphol Ampaipipatkul, Superintendent of Samranrat Police Station, revealed that he was the one requesting passport revocations, in keeping with legal procedures for those facing charges related to national security.
Yan Marchal, a French expat well known for his political parodies, had to take a return flight to France after receiving an expulsion order upon arrival at Phuket Airport on 27 November 2021. Immigration officials reportedly deemed him to be a threat to society.
According to the Thai Enquirer, the Samranrat Police Station submitted a request to the Department of Consular Affairs to revoke the passports of 13 people who had been charged with sedition over their involvement in pro-democracy rallies. Six were listed by name: Jutatip Sirikhan, Korakot Saengyenpan, Suwanna Tanlek, Baramee Chaiyarat and Panumas Singprom.
According to Kumklao Songsomboon, a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, the state has no authority to impose a travel ban on people who have yet to be found guilt of a crime by the Court. In the case of underage defendants like Sainam, Thai laws and international conventions also oblige state officials to consider their future well-being.
“Whatever they do, whatever constraints they place on the rights [of young defenders], they have to consider their futures," said Kumklao.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Judicial Harassment, Travel Restriction
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 31, 2022
- Event Description
The Khon Kaen Provincial Court began its trial of 3 Khon Kaen University students for desecrating the national flag. The students were charged after they replaced a national flag with a ‘monarchy reform’ banner on a flag pole during a protest at Khon Kaen University in February 2021.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Wachirawit Tedsrimuang, Chaitawat Rammarerng and Chetta Klindee were summoned to appear in court as defendants and witnesses on 31 January and 1 February.
On the opening day of the trial, the Court prohibited attorneys and observers from recording the proceedings. Court officers said that a detailed record of the trial would later be made available for copying and added that note-taking was prohibited in previous trials.
In their testimony, the three defendants admitted that they had done the act but claimed that they were merely exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression. They also said that they raised the ‘reform monarch’ flag after removing the national flag from the pole after 18.00, the time when national flags are supposed to be taken down countrywide. They added that they did not see any officers coming to collect the flag for the evening.
The defendants stated that they did not desecrate that flag. Instead, they brought it down properly, did not take it away, and did not damage it in any way.
The 2-day trial included testimony from eight witnesses in support of both the plaintiff and the defendants. The Court is scheduled to issue a ruling on 25 March 2022.
The case stemmed from the defendants raising a red flag bearing the message ‘reform monarchy’ on a national flag pole in front of the President’s office at Khon Kaen University.
The following explanation of the protest was later posted on a Facebook page, Khon Kaen Has Had Enough (Khon Kaen Por Kan Tee).
“A “reform monarchy” flag was raised to the top of the flag pole in front of the KKU President building to symbolically show that Thailand can become a full-fledged democracy when it reforms the monarchy. We do not despised the national flag but we do .want it to be a truly dignified national flag representing a democratic regime that conforms with international standards.”
The flag remained at the top of the pole for 10 minutes before police and a university security officer came to remove it. The Khon Kaen District Police Station subsequently pressed charges against the three defendants for raising a flag that damaged Thailand’s dignity and treating the national flag in a manner violating the Flag Act. The charges carry a 2 year jail sentence, a 4,000 baht fine or both.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 29, 2022
- Event Description
A Lao human rights activist living in Thailand as a UN-recognized refugee is being held for deportation back to Laos, where he faces arrest for his advocacy work, Lao sources say.
Khoukham Keomanivong was arrested Saturday on a charge of overstaying his permission to be in the country and was tried Monday afternoon at the Don Mueang district court in the capital Bangkok, an officer at the Thug Song Hong police station told RFA.
“He was transferred to the immigration bureau after he was found guilty of overstaying his visa,” the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Authorities held Khoukham’s one-day trial behind closed doors, citing COVID-19 concerns, and RFA reporters were not allowed inside the court building.
Court officials did not provide information on the case following the proceedings, and calls seeking comment from Thailand’s immigration bureau received no response on Monday.
Khoukham, a member of Free Laos — a group set up in Thailand to promote human rights and democracy in Laos — is currently being held at the Suan Plu detention center pending deportation, sources said.
Angkhana Neelapaijit, a former national human rights commissioner, said she is now working with colleagues to seek bail for Khoukham.
“I’m working with various networks who help foreign refugees and hope to lodge a request tomorrow,” she said, speaking to RFA and BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. “In the case of UNHCR-protected individuals, the immigration authorities could grant bail with a bond and guarantor. Such individuals should not be forced to go back to face harm.”
'Harm’s way in Laos'
Khoukam is a formally recognized UNHCR refugee, “and under no circumstances should Thailand send him back to Laos, where he would certainly face arrest and abuse,” added Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“The Thai authorities should release him immediately and enable him to seek protection in a third country if that is what he wants,” Robertson said.
Laos deals severely with dissidents who call for democracy and respect for human rights in the one-party communist state, “and there is no doubt that he would face arrest, imprisonment, and perhaps worse if the Thais send him back into harm’s way in Laos.”
A third country would grant asylum to Khoukham if requested by HRW, Robertson said. “But we have to make sure he doesn’t get sent back first.”
Three Lao workers who criticized their government on Facebook while working in Thailand disappeared in March 2016 after returning to Laos to renew their passports.
Somphone Phimmasone, his girlfriend Lod Thammavong, and Soukane Chaithad were later shown on television making what appeared to be forced confessions and were charged with criticizing the Lao government online while working abroad and for taking part in a protest outside the Lao embassy in Thailand.
Somphone was sentenced to a 20-year term, while Soukane was sentenced to 16 years, and Lod was handed a 12-year sentence.
In August 2019, Lao democracy activist Od Sayavong, a friend of Khoukham, vanished under mysterious circumstances in Thailand after posting a video clip online criticizing the Lao government. Listed as a “person of concern” by the UNHCR because of his advocacy for democracy and human rights in Laos, his whereabouts remain unknown. He was 34 at the time he went missing.
Veteran activist
Khoukham, 38, told RFA's Lao Service in an a previous report that he left Champassak province in southern Laos in 2002 to work in Bangkok.
He was one of a handful of Lao workers who organized Lao youth students and workers in Thailand and founded Free Laos, under the motto, "New Lao youths want democracy and do not support the dictatorship."
Khoukham's active years in the group were 2010 to 2016, when they campaigned for the release of the three workers and for missing Lao rural development expert Sombath Somphone, who disappeared in 2012. He told RFA he was scared into hiding in the Bangkok area after the series of arrests of other Lao activists.
Thailand has hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing war, natural disasters and human rights violations in neighboring countries.
Human rights groups, however, criticize Thailand's authoritarian government for recent cases in which it returned refugees and asylum-seekers to China, where they face torture, persecution and other rights abuses.
Last November, Thai authorities arrested and deported to Cambodia two activists from the banned political opposition after Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the arrest of one of them over a poem criticizing the strongman ruler on Facebook.
In early 2019, Vietnamese blogger Truong Duy Nhat was arrested by Thai Royal Police and handed over to Vietnamese police, who took him across the border into Laos, and from there back to Vietnam.
Nhat, who had been a weekly contributor to RFA’s Vietnamese Service, was sentenced in 2020 to ten years in jail for “abusing his position and authority” in a decade-old land fraud case.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jan 29, 2022
- Event Description
Three community representatives involved in a long-running dispute with the energy minister’s wife were taken into police custody over the weekend in relation to a separate dispute, residents said.
Lor Peang community members Oum Sophy, her husband Snguon Nheun, another activist Tuon Seng, and Seng’s 1-year-old grandchild were taken to Kampong Chhnang’s Cholkiri district police station around 3 p.m. Saturday, according to a witness, Prak Sophum.
Sophum believed the arrests were due to a live Facebook broadcast the land activists had made over an argument people were having over a plot of land, which he said began in 2017 and is separate from a decadeslong dispute with KDC International.
“I ask samdech puk, samdech me to help the poor people to settle their land and release them from the detention … so that they can come and support their children because their children and grandchildren are still very young,” Sophum said, using words that roughly translate to lord father and lord mother, likely referring to Prime Minister Hun Sen and his wife Bun Rany.
However, Cholkiri district police chief Him Yong on Saturday said that the arrests were due to destruction of property, not social media streams.
Seng’s husband Oeur Sarith said as of Saturday evening that he had not been able to get in touch with his wife and grandchild.
Sophy and Nheun were also questioned by police in September over an altercation with an illegal fisher. Sophy previously told VOD that authorities tore down a building where they taught community members environmental issues, but they recorded the crackdown to show officials’ actions widely on social media.
The Lor Peang land community has been in a land dispute with Chea Kheng and KDC International for decades, with villagers accusing the wife of Energy Minister Suy Sem of bulldozing houses and razing farms. The activists have repeatedly clashed with police and military police.
Lawyers for Kheng, the Energy Minister’s wife, told The Cambodia Daily in 2010 to not mention the minister in articles about the land dispute or they would sue for spreading “disinformation.”
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Jan 28, 2022
- Event Description
Security guards and armed goons opened fire at farmers in Sitio Ricafort, Barangay Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, according to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
Security guards armed with high-powered rifles fired at the members of a fact-finding team and 20 farmers, including seven minors at around noon today, Jan. 28. According to peasant women’s group Amihan, more than 20 shots were heard which lasted for more than 10 minutes. Cellphones, bags, wallets and relief goods for the peasant families were taken by the guards.
Two days ago, four houses were demolished by the security guards.
“These series of harassment and rights violations should be investigated and hold the perpetrators accountable. We are calling for democracy loving Filipinos to stand with farmers in asserting their rights to land and livelihood,” Amihan National Chairperson Zenaida Soriano said.
Local farmers group said that Araneta Properties Inc., led by Gregorio “Greggy” Araneta III, has been trying to evict the farmers of Lupang Teresa since January 2013.
The farmers have been asserting for their rights to the land since 1997 after the Department of Agrarian Reform issued an exemption order from land reform coverage.
Greggy Araneta is the brother in law of convicted tax evader and presidentiable Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Araneta, the brother-in-law of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr., reportedly plans to construct a private subdivision in the disputed land.
As of press time, no one has been reported wounded.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Corporation Corporation (others)
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jan 28, 2022
- Event Description
The Cambodian authorities have reported that two strikers who had been protesting at the NagaWorld hotel and casino were arrested during the evening on Feb. 5 while they were at the COVID-19 test site of the Koh Pich Exhibition Center.
However, according to labor and rights groups, the police actually arrested six people, then released three of them and the situation of the sixth person is unknown.
Phnom Penh Municipal police spokesman San Sokseyha on Feb. 6 said that strikers Choup Channat and Seng Vannrith, were arrested on Feb. 5 for obstruction to the implementation of the medical authorities’ measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which falls under Article 11 of the Law on Measures to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19.
“I said only two have been detained,” he said in a phone interview on Feb. 6. “If six people were arrested, I would tell you six.”
This arrest was made in accordance with the order and arrest warrant of the prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Sokseyha said, adding that Channat and Vannrith are being interrogated at the Commissariat of the Phnom Penh Municipal Police and that further action will be set according to the procedures of the court orders.
The arrests took place at around 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 5 at Koh Pich as the protesters were on their way home after having gone to be tested for COVID-19.
The Labor Rights Supported Union (LRSU) posted on their Facebook page on Feb. 5 that six strikers had been arrested: Choup Channat, Ean Kunthea, Sao Sambath, Seng Vannrith, Touch Danet and Uk Sophorn.
Khun Tharo, program manager at the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), said on Feb. 6 that three people had been released while the situation of one person—Sao Sambath—remains unknown as he had not seen an arrest warrant for Sambath and his family has lost track of him.
“As of now, we don’t know where he is or whether he has been released or not,” Tharo said in interview. “His family doesn’t know too. His family will be filing a complaint because his situation is unknown.”
According to Tharo, it is difficult to explain why the three persons who were later released were arrested in the first place. “There were in the same tuk-tuk, so perhaps, the three of them were taken along to avoid the spread of the information,” he said.
Around 1,000 NagaWorld employees have been on strike for roughly 50 days, demanding the release of their eight representatives from prison and the settlement of a labor dispute with the company. On Jan. 28, the Ministry of Health ordered all NagaWorld strikers to be tested for COVID-19 to prevent the spread of the disease after one woman striker was identified as being infected with the Omicron variant.
The ministry had ordered that all strikers be tested at the Koh Pich Center within three days from Feb. 4. However, the strikers asked to delay till Feb. 5, which is the day the arrests were made.
"Individuals who do not implement these health and administrative measures will be punished in accordance with the law on preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19 and other severe and dangerous contagious diseases in force," the ministry said in its statement.
Am Sam Ath, deputy director of rights group Licadho, said the arrests were unreasonable as the strikers did not seem to disrupt or obstruct the medical authorities in implementing the COVID-19 preventive measures, adding that the arrests were made with an intention of repression and threats on the strikers.
“The workers only asked for a postponement for taking the test, from Feb. 4 to 5,” he said in interview on Feb. 6. “So, on Feb. 5, they came to have their samples taken…They did not seem to disrupt the measures. They also practiced social distancing.”
Sam Ath added that the Cambodian authorities should release the three newly-arrested strikers and the other eight union representatives to ease the tension between the strikers and the authorities, and that proper and effective negotiation should be held.
“The strikers’ request has not been responded but instead the arrest continues, so the strike will take a longer time to end,” he said. “What is important is that the relevant authorities should find a solution with transparency and justice. The delay will only lead to further criticism.”
Khun Tharo of CENTRAL said that these additional arrests show repression against the strikers with an intent to disperse the gathering and the peaceful strike.
“The practice is not fair because the authorities only target the strikers when it comes to implementing the COVID-19 measures,” he said. “There are no measures implemented on wedding receptions or any gatherings in supermarkets. This is an unequal application of health measures and is intended to prevent the strike.”
The allegations that the strikers were obstructing the COVID-19 preventive measures does not have a sufficient legal basis to charge them as they only tried to find solutions and exercise their rights, Tharo said, calling the arrest a serious violation of labor rights.
“When inequality and irregularity occur, there is an intention not to want to settle the dispute,” he said. “A strike is a last resort to put pressure on employers to come to the negotiating table.”
Tharo added that the action implemented by the authorities reflected the weakness of the legal implementation in Cambodia as powerful and influential companies continue to violate the human rights and labor rights of their employees.
“It seems like the authorities do not have any power over those companies,” he said. “This case is a bad example, and unfairness will remain in the Cambodian society.”
As of the afternoon of Feb. 6, the Phnom Penh Municipal Police was attempting to implement arrest warrants on four other NagaWorld hotel and casino strikers on similar charges of obstructing the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The four women are Eng Srey Bo, Kheng Chenda, Meng Kanika and Meng Kanika.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jan 28, 2022
- Event Description
A youth anti-dictatorship activist and a journalist were convicted of incitement and handed a two-year prison sentence with hard labour in a junta court in Dawei, Tanintharyi Region last week, sources close to them said.
Htoo Myat Lwin, a 22-year-old member of the Coalition Strike Committee of Dawei, and Sai Ko Ko Tun, a 28-year-old former reporter at 7Day News, had no lawyers present at their trial in the court inside Dawei Prison, which delivered its verdict on January 28.
They were convicted of violating Section 505a of the Penal Code.
“It is not yet known if they will face more charges,” a source familiar with the case told Myanmar Now on the condition of anonymity.
The military council-appointed judge in the case ruled that Htoo Myat Lwin was guilty of participating in and leading anti-coup protests, joining the strike committee and inciting others to join anti-dictatorship activities, a source in the prison said.
Sai Ko Ko Tun’s conviction was for covering the protests as a journalist and sending the reports to Myanmar Now.
Family members of the defendants were not allowed into the court on the day of the verdict and only learned of the sentencing from sources close to the prison officers, a relative of Htoo Myat Lwin said.
They could not afford to hire legal representation for Htoo Myat Lwin, he explained.
“He defended himself in court without a lawyer. He was afraid the family would face difficulties if he hired a lawyer,” the relative said.
Sai Ko Ko Tun also did not have a lawyer present.
Around 30 junta troops arrested both men at Sai Ko Ko Tun’s home in Dawei’s Bon Maw ward on November 30 last year. Also detained were Sai Ko Ko Tun’s father and sister, who were released days later.
From January 5 until the end of the month, 31 people were sentenced within the same court in Dawei Prison, the prison source said, convicted of incitement or Section 51 of the Counterterrorism Law for the use of explosive devices.
The junta’s armed forces raided the Myanmar Now office in Yangon’s Pabedan Township on March 8 last year, five weeks after the February coup, and imposed a publication and broadcasting ban on five news outlets in the commercial capital, including Myanmar Now. The other four targeted organisations were 7Day, DVB, Khit Thit Media and Mizzima, with the coup regime’s information ministry later adding 74 Media, Delta News Agency, Myitkyina News Journal and Tachileik News Agency to the blacklist.
Internet services were disrupted and access was blocked to continued TV news broadcasts by outlets such as DVB and Mizzima.
Since the coup, 100 journalists have been detained by the military council, which has accused them of violating the law. Among them were three staff members from Dawei Watch, who were detained for eight days in late January.
At the time of reporting, around half of the reporters arrested nationwide were still behind bars.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Media Worker, Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jan 27, 2022
- Event Description
Direktur Eksekutif Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (Walhi) Bengkulu Abdullah Ibrahim Ritonga dipanggil kepolisian untuk dimintai keterangan pada hari ini, Senin (31/1).
Dia akan diperiksa terkait dugaan merintangi atau mengganggu aktivitas pertambangan pasir besi di Pasar Seluma, Kecamatan Seluma Selatan, Kabupaten Seluma.
"Pada surat pemanggilan tersebut, saya akan diperiksa pada 31 Januari di Polres Seluma," kata Ibrahim seperti dilansir dari Antara.
Sejauh ini, Ibrahim masih berkonsultasi dengan pendamping hukumnya sebelum memenuhi panggilan kepolisian.
Belum ada pernyataan dari polisi terkait pemanggilan Ibrahim Ritonga ini. CNNIndonesia.com masih berupaya menghubungi Polsek Seluma dan Polda Bengkulu terkait hal ini.
Diketahui, Walhi sempat menerima warga yang mengaku mendapat intimidasi dari aparat kepolisian beberapa waktu lalu.
Kala itu, warga melancarkan demonstrasi menolak aktivitas tambang pasir besi di Desa Pasar Seluma Kabupaten Seluma. Namun, warga dibubarkan oleh aparat dan mengaku mendapat kekerasan serta intimidasi.
Pada 27 Januari, warga mendatangi kantor Walhi Bengkulu untuk melaporkan hal tersebut. Mereka juga sempat melakukan zoom meeting dengan Komnas Perempuan.
Kelompok yang menamakan diri Perempuan Pasar Seluma menyampaikan kekerasan yang diterimanya dari aparat saat berunjuk rasa menolak tambang pasir besi.
Mereka berharap Komnas Perempuan membantu warga setempat yang ingin memperjuangkan kelestarian lingkungan namun mendapat kekerasan dari aparat. Warga merasa dikriminalisasi, sehingga meminta perlindungan dari Komnas Perempuan.
Setidaknya ada 8 orang yang ditangkap kepolisian pada Desember lalu. Terdiri dari 4 aktivis Walhi dan 4 warga setempat.
Kala itu, Kabid Humas Polda Bengkulu Kombes Sudarno menyebut mediasi antara Pemda dan masyarakat sudah dilakukan. Mediasi melibatkan kepala desa, camat dan Pemda Seluma.
"Tapi masyarakat tetap tidak mau meninggalkan lokasi, sehingga pemda minta ke polres agar dilakukan pembubaran," kata dia saat dikonfirmasi, Senin (27/12).
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jan 24, 2022
- Event Description
Background
Bach lives and works in Hanoi. He is currently the Director of the non-profit Law & Policy of Sustainable Development (LPSD).
LPSD is a member of the Vietnam Environmental Network (VEN), Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance (VSEA), and the Vietnam Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Alliance (NCDs-VN).
Bach, 43, is known for his ability to mobilize young people to volunteer for charitable projects such as helping victims of storms and disasters, especially those impacted by global warming and environmental catastrophes. Bach has created many competitions and awards for innovation in the field of sustainable living which attracted the participation of many young Vietnamese. LPSD has also been a strong supporter of the government’s fight against the spread of COVID-19.
Profile picture: Dang Dinh Bach. Source: Thiennhien.net History of Activism
Bach was not known for his role in political activism. Family Situation
He was arrested just weeks after his wife gave birth.
On January 24, he was sentenced to five years in prison. He did not know of his trial date until his lawyers visited him on January 14.
The family has not been allowed to see him. They said because Bach is a vegan, he has been eating very little while in prison. His lawyer said Bach has gone on a hunger strike since January 10 to protest against his prolonged detention and not being allowed family visits. Bach has also demanded to be released on bail.
January 2022:
His family can send him food (which is bought at the detention center) twice per month. Bach is a vegan. The family is concerned that Bach can not maintain his physical and mental health if he follows the vegan diet, due to the poor nutritional value of food in the detention center. As a result, they have sent him non-vegan food. Nevertheless, he has given it all away to his fellow inmates. Bach follows a meager diet of rice, sesame, and salt. The family worries for him because he has lost a lot of weight since his arrest. He was in good health before the arrest, his wife reported.
On January 18, 2022, Thao and attorney Huong went to the Hanoi Court to submit a document saying that Bach’s family would pay compensation (on the accusation of tax evasion) before the trial, amounting to VND 500,000,000 (~US$ 22,000). However, they were told that they need to ask for the judge’s signature to be allowed to do so. As of the time of this writing, the family still has not received the approval needed to pay the fine. The family was advised by their attorneys that they should propose again at trial to pay the compensation with the hope that Bach will receive a minor sentence. It is refundable if Bach is proven innocent.
Bach's hearing reportedly failed to meet international standards for a fair trial and even Vietnam’s Criminal Procedure Code. His cases was purely political and he was imprisoned for his activities, given the fact that according to Vietnam’s laws, all non-profit non-government organizations (NGOs) are not subject to tax.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jan 24, 2022
- Event Description
JATAM, LBH Kendari, LBH Makassar, YLBHI dan KontraS, KIARA serta FNKSDA menilai penangkapan tiga warga Desa Sukarela Jaya, Wawonii Tenggara, Konawe Kepulauan, Sulawesi Tenggara, menunjukkan aparat kepolisian sebagai centeng oligarki.
“Sebanyak tiga warga Desa Sukarela Jaya, Kecamatan Wawonii Tenggara, Kabupaten Konawe Kepulauan, Provinsi Sulawesi Tenggara ditangkap aparat kepolisian dari Polda Sulawesi Tenggara,” kata JATAM, Muhamad Jamil, Senin (24/1).
Ketiga warga itu, diantaranya La Dani alias Anwar (L) dan Hurlan (L), dan Hastoma (L). Mereka ditangkap pada Senin, 24 Januari 2022, sekitar Pukul 13.30 Wita. Semenatara Anwar dan Hastoma ditangkap di kebun milik mereka saat tengah makan siang. Adapun Hurlan ditangkap di rumahnya.
“Penangkapan terhadap Anwar, Hastoma, dan Hurlan oleh polisi hari ini, berikut kriminalisasi terhadap warga Wawonii pada 2019 lalu, patut diduga sebagai bentuk arogansi korporasi tambang yang rakus dan aparat kepolisian yang lebih sering tampil sebagai centeng oligarki,” tegas Jamil.
Menurutnya, belum diketahui penyebab ketiga warga pulau kecil Wawonii itu ditangkap. “Menurut keterangan warga, ketiganya tengah dalam perjalanan laut, menggunakan speedboat Polisi, menuju kantor Polda Sulawesi Tenggara di Kendari,” tuturnya.
Sebagaimana diketahui, Anwar, Hastoma, dan Hurlan merupakan bagian dari barisan warga penolak tambang di pulau Wawonii. Warga, yang sebagian besar menggantungkan perekonomian pada sektor pertanian/perkebunan dan laut, menentang rencana penambangan nikel oleh PT Gema Kreasi Perdana (GKP), anak perusahaan Harita Group.
“Keteguhan warga dalam melakukan penolakan atas tambang nikel itu, berujung pada ancaman, intimidasi, dan kriminalisasi, hingga pada 2019 lalu sebanyak 28 warga dilaporkan ke polisi oleh pihak perusahaan,” ungkap Jamil.
Pihaknya mendapati, tuduhan yang dialamatkan ke warga bermacam-macam dan cenderung mengada-ada. Mulai dari dugaan menghalangi aktivitas perusahaan tambang, dugaan merampas kemerdekaan terhadap seseorang, pengancaman, dan tuduhan penganiayaan.
“Anwar, Hastoma, dan Hurlan, yang ditangkap polisi pada hari ini, Senin (24/1), termasuk ke dalam 28 warga yang sebelumnya telah dilaporkan ke polisi pada 23 Agustus 2019 lalu,” kata Jamil.
Tuduhan yang dialamatkan kepada ketiganya saat itu, adalah terkait dugaan Tindak Pidana Perampasan Kemerdekaan Terhadap Seseorang, sebagaimana dicantumkan dalam Pasal 333 KUHP.
“Penangkapan terhadap warga penolak tambang itu, patut dibaca sebagai upaya negara melalui institusi kepolisian dan korporasi untuk menekan resistensi warga, sehingga rencana investasi penambangan dapat berjalan mulus,” ujarnya.
Jamil melihat, dugaan tersebut semakin kuat, mengingat aparat kepolisian cenderung bersekongkol dengan korporasi yang melakukan tindak kejahatan lingkungan dan melanggar hak asasi manusia.
“Dalam kaitan dengan PT GKP, misalnya, pada 2019 lalu, pihak perusahaan melakukan penerobosan lahan-lahan milik warga,” terangnya.
“Pertama, pada Selasa, 9 Juli 2019, sekitar Pukul 11.00 Wita, PT GKP menerobos lahan milik Ibu Marwah. Kedua, pada Selasa, 16 Juli 2019, sekitar Pukul 15.00 di lahan milik Idris. Ketiga, pada Kamis, 22 Agustus 2019, tengah malam, kembali menerobos lahan milik Amin, Wa Ana, dan (Alm) Labaa,” rinci Jamil.
Menurut Jamil, penerobosan lahan warga yang berulang itu dan berakibat pada rusaknya tanaman jambu mete, kelapa, pala, cengkeh, dan tanaman lainnya justru dikawal ketat aparat kepolisian.
Adapun laporan warga, lanjutnya, kepada pihak kepolisian terkait penerobosan lahan milik masyarakat oleh PT GKP itu tak kunjung diproses, semua mengendap begitu saja.
“Salah satu warga Konawe Kepulauan atas nama Idris, misalnya, melaporkan PT GKP ke Polres Kendari pada Rabu, 14 Agustus 2019. Idris melapor ke polisi karena lahan dan tanamannya dirusak PT GKP pada Selasa, 16 Juli 2019,” jelas Jamil.
Atas dasar itu, koalisi masyarakat sipil itu mendesak Polda Sulawesi Utara untuk membebaskan La Dani (Anwar), Hurlan, dan Hastomo.
Selain itu, mereka juga mendesak Kapolri untuk menghentikan segala bentuk upaya kriminalisasi terhadap masyarakat yang menolak aktivitas pertambangan di pulau Wawonii;
“Mendesak pemerintahan Presiden Joko Widodo untuk menjalankan amanat pasal 66 UU No. 32 Tahun 2009 tentang Perlindungan dan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup,” tukas Jamil.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jan 21, 2022
- Event Description
A junta court has handed death sentences to veteran pro-democracy activist Ko Jimmy and former National League for Democracy MP Phyo Zayar Thaw, military-controlled media said on Friday evening.
Ko Jimmy, whose real name is Kyaw Min Yu, was arrested during a raid in Yangon in late October and Phyo Zayar Thaw was captured in November.
Both activists were accused of leading and planning guerilla attacks against the junta’s forces and their allies.
Phyo Zayar Thaw has been named by the junta as the mastermind behind numerous attacks on coup regime targets in Yangon in recent months.
The men were convicted under sections 49a, 50i and 50j of the Counterterrorism Law, which outlaws activities related to explosives, bombings, and financing terrorism.
The junta accused Phyo Zayar Thaw, who is also a well-known hip-hop artist, of supporting terrorist groups and keeping stashes of guns, ammunition, grenades and explosives at two apartments in Yangon.
The military court also accused him of having Zoom meetings with the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), the National Unity Government (NUG), and its People’s Defence Force (PDF), all of which are labelled as terrorist groups by the junta.
The court said he supplied weapons to assassinate pro-junta targets 35 times, masterminded 11 attacks and was complicit in over 100 bomb attacks.
He was also accused of raising money from abraod to fund “terrorist activity”.
The ‘88 Generation veteran Ko Jimmy was accused of hiding weapons and ammunition at an apartment in Yangon and being an “advisor” in implementing “terrorist activities” as part of the CRPH, NUG, and the PDF.
Ko Jimmy asked the NUG to buy a $100m 3D printer to make weapons, the junta’s Friday announcement said.
Both men had leadership positions during a series of attacks in Yangon known as Moon Light Operation, it added.
Min Ko Naing, another ‘88 Generation veteran, said the sentencing today was aimed at diverting people’s attention from the news that oil giants Total and Chevron were exiting Myanmar.
“That news was an encouraging response from the world… It was such a blow, financially and physically, for the military council,” Min Ko Naing told Myanmar Now.
He added that the military regime has realised it is going to lose the fight with anti-junta forces and will react by doing reckless things.
“They may win a hill or a camp but will lose the ultimate war in the end. Our people will win,” he said.
The military council released no information about Ko Jimmy’s case after his arrest but on January 14 released a video of Phyo Zayar Thaw confessing to involvement in the attacks.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 8,716 people are being detained by the junta across the country as of Thursday.
A total of 82 people, including 39 people who were convicted in absentia, have been sentenced to death by the junta, the group added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Myanmar: veteran pro-democracy defender beaten, detained
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 21, 2022
- Event Description
6 activists from the Thalufah group had their bail revoked last Friday (21 January 2022) for writing on the wall of a court arraignment room when they reported to the court on 18 January 2022, before one was released on Saturday (22 January 2022).
Songpol Sonthirak, Nawapol Tonngam, Phiraphong Phoemphun, Pawaris Yaemying, Wachirawit Limthanawong, and Wirocha Chatchawanwong were told to report to the Ratchadapisek Criminal Court on Friday (21 January 2022) by Chawannat Thongsom, Director of the Administrative Office of the Criminal Court.
Chawannat contacted the activists’ lawyer and said that while they were waiting in the arraignment room at the Criminal Court after reporting to court on 18 January 2022, the activists wrote “Free our friends” and “Repeal Section 112” on the wall of the arraignment room. Chawannat also claimed they wrote rude words on a picture of King Bhumibol inside the room.
The activists’ lawyer was told that they must report to court immediately, or an arrest warrant would be issued for them.
The activists were previously granted bail on charges relating to an incident on 3 August 2021, when Thalufah activists splashed paint in front of Thung Song Hong Police Station following their release after spending a night in detention on charges relating to a protest at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on 2 August to demand that the police return a speaker truck seized after the 1 August 2021 ‘car mob’ rally.
They had their bail revoked since the court claimed that defacing the arraignment room was considered a repetition of their offense, since they were charged with destruction of public property for the 3 August 2021 incident. They were also charged with contempt of court.
Their bail revocation orders were signed by judge Attakarn Foocharoen, Deputy Chief Justice of the Criminal Court, and did not state the reason for revoking their bail.
The activists’ lawyer posted bail again on Saturday (22 January 2022) for 19-year-old Wirocha. She was later granted bail and was released from the Central Women Correctional Institution on Saturday evening.
The other 5 activists are still detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison. Nawapol, Wachirawit, and Pawaris were previously detained pending trial on the same charge for 33 days in late 2021, while Songpol was detained for 15 days before being granted bail.
Thawee Thiangwiset, another Thalufah member, is also currently detained pending trial on charges relating to the 3 August 2021 incident, as well as charges relating to a protest on 3 September 2021, in which he was accused of attacking a police officer. He has been in detention for 128 days and repeatedly denied bail.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), 22 people are currently detained pending trial on charges relating to political expression.
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jan 20, 2022
- Event Description
Los Seng, publisher of Los Seng News, has been placed under court supervision for six months over a live video report by two staff members in Kampot province.
In November, two LSN reporters covered a protest outside the Kampot provincial hall against the arrests of residents involved in a land dispute. A police report at the time said four suspects had been arrested, and LSN interviewed residents who said that among the four was a 4-year-old child.
The two reporters were arrested, then issued a public apology that although the 4-year-old and his mother were taken to the provincial police station, they were not in detention. The reporters were later released and placed under court supervision.
On Thursday, publisher Seng was questioned at the Kampot Provincial Court for incitement and insult in relation to the case.
Seng said the court had decided to let him go home, but also put him under court supervision for six months.
Seng asked not to give further comments out of fear for repercussions.
At the time of his reporters’ arrests, however, Seng had been outspoken.
“When any report is a crime, where is the freedom of the journalist? They could use the Press Law, but instead they use their power against the journalist,” Seng told VOD in November. “Their action is to break the spirit of the journalist from daring to cover news in Kampot province.”
The province had recently received a new governor, Mao Thonin, who had a reputation for listening to residents’ concerns, especially in relation to land disputes, during his previous tenure in Pursat. But in Kampot, he quickly turned against journalists.
He ordered the director of his provincial information department in November to more tightly control their work.
“All news institutions that come to work in the province must go through the department’s review,” Thonin said in a meeting with officials at the time. “They cannot just come to report exaggerations. Every night I listen, I almost get a headache — they cannot do this. Authorities work very hard and sometimes [people] believe [these journalists’] useless words that impact the honor and hard work of our leaders.”
Nop Vy, executive director of the Cambodian Journalists Alliance, said on Thursday that legal actions against journalists were threats, and authorities should not use the judicial system against reporters.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith also spoke in November against the authorities’ actions against LSN.
“If [journalists] take pictures in front of the provincial hall, why not let them take pictures?” Kanharith said at the time. “Arresting them is wrong, it is arbitrary. So our administration is also abusive. We do not understand. Or, as a provincial governor has said, wherever journalists go, they have to report to the authorities — it is not like this.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 19, 2022
- Event Description
Former novice monk Saharat Sukkhamla, 21, has been indicted on a royal defamation charge resulting from a speech he gave during a protest organized by the students’ rights group Bad Student on 21 November 2020.
The complaint against Saharat was filed by Ratthanaphak Suwannarat, who claimed that he saw a video recording of Saharat’s speech and noted that it contained insults against the King. Saharat reported to Pathumwan Police Station in July 2021 to hear the charges, more than 5 months before the public prosecutor decided to indict him.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported today (19 January 2022) that the public prosecutor has decided to indict Saharat on the grounds that parts of his speech insults the King. The indictment gave examples of the offending parts, such as when Saharat ask why we can only discuss the King’s good deeds but cannot discuss his bad side, and when he said that Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s statement that the authorities will use every law against the protesters, even the royal defamation charge, will make the King break his promise, since the King said that the royal defamation law will not be used against citizens.
The public prosecutor said that Saharat’s speech could cause misunderstanding concerning the King, such as making him seem like someone who could harm the country or someone who is dishonest and does not keep his promise or that he will intervene in law enforcement. The public prosecutor also claimed that Saharat intended to harm the monarchy and cause a loss of respect for the monarchy.
Saharat is a student at Mahidol University’s College of Religious Studies and a member of the New Restoration Order. Known among young people as the “Carrot Gang” due to the orange robes worn by Thai Buddhist monks, the group calls for reform of the Thai Buddhist clergy and for it to be removed from the secular government’s authority in a move towards a secular state.
As a novice monk, Saharat often participated in pro-democracy protests and is the first Buddhist monk to be charged for joining the protests. In addition to the royal defamation charge, he is also facing charges for joining protests on 25 November 2020 at the Siam Commercial bank headquarters building and 20 February 2021 in front of parliament.
In relation to the 25 November 2020 protest, Saharat was charged with organizing a public gathering without notifying the authorities, violation of the Emergency Decree, using a sound amplifier without permission, and obstructing traffic.
For the 20 February 2021 protest, he was charged with violation of the Emergency Decree, joining an assembly of more than 10 people and causing a breach of public peace, and using a sound amplifier without permission.
In February 2021, it was reported that special branch police tried to disrobe Saharat, claiming a consensus of the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand, the main governing body of the Buddhist order in Thailand, and an announcement from the National Office of Buddhism.
The Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand reportedly reached a consensus in February 2021 to press charges against Saharat, claiming that he insulted the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, who is the head of the order of Buddhist monks, and that he caused conflict within the order.
Saharat left monkhood in November 2021, saying that he faced pressure from both the Buddhist order and state authorities.
The South Bangkok Criminal Court granted Saharat bail on a 200,000-baht security and set the conditions that he may not join a gathering which may cause public disorder, participate in activities which can harm the monarchy, or leave the country without permission.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 167 people have been charged with royal defamation for political expression since November 2020. Following a protest in front of the Royal Thai Police HQ on 18 November 2020, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that the government would use every law it had to stop pro-democracy protesters.
Several protest leaders are facing multiple counts of the charge, including Parit Chiwarak, who is facing 23 counts; Anon Nampa, 14 counts; Panupong Jadnok, 9 counts; Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, 9 counts; and Benja Apan, 6 counts.
Four people are currently detained pending trial on royal defamation charges: Parit Chiwarak, Jatupat Boonpattaraksa, Anon Nampa, and Panupong Jadnok.
According to TLHR’s December 2021 situation report, public prosecutors have decided to indict at least at least 75 of existing royal defamation cases have been indicted. The report also stated, so far, there has yet to be a case that was not indicted.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jan 18, 2022
- Event Description
Regarding today’s forced summons of human rights defenders Fatia Maulidiyanti and Haris Azhar, FORUM-ASIA Executive Director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said:
The harassment of Fatia and Haris earlier today reflects the Indonesian government’s continuous use of reprisals against human rights defenders. Approximately 8:00 am, five police officers arrived at Fatia’s residence, and another four arrived at Haris’ house to pick them up for interrogation. This stems from charges filed last year by the Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan against the two over comments regarding a report alleging the involvement of army officials with the operations of the gold mining sector in Papua.
The unexpected police presence at their respective homes is clearly an intimidation against these defenders, and sends out a message that defenders will be targeted for exposing corruption or rights violations.
We call on the police to immediately end the criminalisation of these two defenders. The Government of Indonesia must instead ensure protection of human rights defenders who hold state actors accountable, and halt any misuse of litigation by authorities, businesses, and other sectors.
Indonesia as a democracy must be committed towards the implementation of laws and policies that protect freedom of expression, and it must respect the rights of its people to share critical or dissenting views to hold the government accountable.
About Fatia and Haris Fatia Maulidiyanti is the Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS). Haris Azhar is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Lokataru Foundation.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jan 18, 2022
- Event Description
Myanmar authorities must immediately release the three recently arrested employees of the Dawei Watch news website and cease detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
During the night of January 18 to 19, authorities arrested Dawei Watch reporters Ko Zaw and Ma Moe Myint and web designer Ko Thar Gyi at their homes in Dawei, the capital of the southern Tanintharyi region, according to news reports. Those reports said that Ko Zaw was seen being taken from his home in handcuffs.
A Dawei Watch representative quoted by The Irrawaddy said they were not aware of why the three employees were detained or where they were being held.
Authorities also raided Dawei Watch’s office and seized documents and other items, reports said.
“Myanmar authorities must account for Dawei Watch employees Ko Zaw, Ma Moe Myint, and Ko Thar Gyi, drop any charges against them, and release them immediately,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Myanmar’s junta must stop harassing, jailing, and killing journalists.”
Dawei Watch, which was established in 2012, covers news in southern Myanmar including the area’s recent anti-coup protests, according to those news reports and CPJ’s review of the outlet’s website and Facebook page, which has about 380,000 followers. CPJ emailed the outlet requesting further information on its employees’ detention, but did not immediately receive any reply.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Information did not reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.
CPJ’s latest prison census, published in December, ranked Myanmar as the world’s second worst jailer of journalists, trailing only China. At least three journalists have been killed by Myanmar authorities since the military seized power on February 1, 2021, according to CPJ documentation and research.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jan 17, 2022
- Event Description
Aparat kepolisian membubarkan paksa aksi yang digelar para pengungsi Afghanistan di depan Kantor UNHCR, di Pekanbaru, Riau, Senin (17/1) kemarin. Aparat diduga melakukan kekerasan kepada para pengungsi tersebut.
Aksi pembubaran paksa yang dilakukan aparat kepolisian turut dibagikan oleh aktivis HAM, Veronica Koman lewat akun twitter pribadinya @VeronicaKoman.
Dalam video itu, terlihat polisi yang menggunakan tameng dan tongkat memukuli sejumlah pencari suaka. Beberapa orang lari kocar-kacir menghindari pukulan aparat.
Veronica mengatakan para pencari suaka itu semula berunjuk rasa di depan kantor UNHCR menyikapi dugaan bunuh diri seorang pengungsi Afghanistan.
Dalam rekaman video lain terlihat sejumlah orang mengenakan rompi berwarna biru terlihat jatuh di tanah dan seolah diinjak-injak oleh orang yang lain.
Hingga berita ini diturunkan, belum ada keterangan resmi dari kepolisian terkait peristiwa itu. CNNIndonesia.com sudah menghubungi Kabid Humas Polda Riau Kombes Sunarto namun belum mendapat respons.
UNHCR menyayangkan insiden yang terjadi antara pengungsi dan aparat kepolisian di Pekanbaru kemarin. UNHCR menyatakan menyampaikan pendapat di muka umum diizinkan di Indonesia.
"Kami menolak segala bentuk kekerasan. Melakukan aksi damai adalah hal yang diperbolehkan di Indonesia sebagai salah satu cara penyampaian aspirasi," demikian bunyi keterangan resmi UNHCR Sebagaimana dikutip Selasa (18/1).
Di lain sisi, UNHCR mengklaim selalu mengingatkan para pengungsinya agar mematuhi hukum dan tidak mengganggu ketertiban umum.
"Mereka berisiko mengalami pembubaran paksa oleh pihak otoritas atau bahkan dapat didetensi/ditahan," ujarnya.
"Kami akan terus menawarkan pengungsi untuk berdiskusi secara terbuka dengan staff UNHCR dan mitra kerja kami. Dan terus meningkatkan agar mereka mematuhi hukum di negara ini agar insiden serupa tak terulang di masa depan," demikian bunyi keterangan itu.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jan 17, 2022
- Event Description
Intimidasi terhadap warga Desa Wadas, Kecamatan Bener, Purworejo yang menolak penambangan batu andesit meresahkan sebagian warga.
Intimidasi berupa pemasangan poster berlogo Polda Jawa Tengah berisi ancaman hukum bagi warga yang menghalangi proses pengkuran tanah lokasi penambangan.
Menanggapi hal itu, Kabidhumas Polda Jawa Tengah Kombes Pol M Iqbal Alqudussy menegaskan poster-poster tersebut baru dilidik oleh polisi.
"Baru kita lidik, " jawabnya soal poster berlogo polda di Desa Wadas, Senin (17/1/2022).
Sebelumnya, Staf Divisi Kampanye dan Jaringan LBH Yogyakarta, Dhanil Al Ghifary mengatakan, poster dipasang di 5 titik wilayah Desa Wadas. Poster mencantumkan ancaman pidana terkait tindakan menghalangi tugas pegawai negeri sipil.
Dhanil mengaku tidak mengetahui instansi mana yang memasang poster tersebut. Namun pada poster tercantum logo Polda Jawa Tengah.
"Kami tidak tahu itu dari instansi kepolisian mana. Tapi yang pasti di pojok posternya ada logo Polda Jawa Tengah, " katanya.
Menurut Dhanil, tindakan ini adalah bentuk teror terhadap warga Desa Wadas. Pemasangan spanduk berisi ancaman hukum, bertujuan melemahkan upaya warga yang menolak rencana penambangan batu material pembangunan Bendungan Bener.
Aparat hukum kata Dhanil, tidak bisa serta merta menangkap warga Desa Wadas yang menolak kedatangan petugas pengukur tanah. Sebab dalam aspek hak asasi manusia, warga punya hak untuk tidak digusur secara sewenang-wenang.
Apalagi sengketa izin penambangan batu di Desa Wadas belum sepenuhnya selesai. Kasus ini tidak sama dengan sengketa lahan milik perorangan, sehingga hukum yang berlaku juga memperhatikan aspek khusus.
“Tapi ini kan berbeda. Konteksnya warga punya hak untuk tidak digusur secara sewenang-wenang. Warga punya hak untuk melindungi hak pribadi,” ujarnya.
Warga Desa Wadas, Kecamatan Bener, Kabupaten Purworejo mengaku menerima pesan intimidatif dari orang tak dikenal.
Diduga terkait rencana pengukuran tanah bakal lokasi penambangan batu andesit untuk material Bendungan Bener.
Staf Divisi Kampanye dan Jaringan LBH Yogyakarta, Dhanil Al Ghifary mengatakan, pesan intimidatif menyasar beberapa warga Desa Wadas. Mereka yang diancam diantaranya adalah warga yang menolak rencana penambangan batu andesit di Desa Wadas.
“Beberapa warga mendapat pesan intimidatif. Seperti kalau nanti menghalangi petugas pertanahan akan diciduk (ditangkap),” kata Dhanil, Senin (17/1/2021).
Dhanil belum bisa menyebutkan identitas warga yang menerima pesan intimidatif. Sebab dikhawatirkan mereka akan mendapat intimidasi lebih jauh.
“Benar ada intimidasi (terhadap) warga. Ada beberapa. Dua atau 3 orang yang mendapat pesan (intimidasi) itu.” ujar Dhanil.
Kepada warga, pengirim pesan mengaku sebagai intel Polda Jawa Tengah. “Ngakunya intel Polda, tapi kami nggak tahu intel betulan atau tidak. Untuk orang yang dikirimi pesan intimidatif, sekarang kami belum bisa menyebutkan nama. Ada ketakutan mendapat intimidasi yang lebih.”
LBH Yogyakarta sebagai pendamping advokasi warga Desa Wadas berharap penyelesaian konflik lahan tidak represif. Konflik dapat diselesaikan dengan cara dialog tanpa teror dan intimidasi.
Intimidasi terhadap warga terjadi bersamaan dengan beredarnya isu bahwa petugas Badan Pertanahan Nasional (BPN) akan melakukan pengukuran tanah di Desa Wadas.
Pesan intimidasi yang beredar, berisi ancaman hukum bagi warga yang menghalangi petugas pengukur tanah. Orang yang mengajak warga lainnya untuk menggagalkan pengkuran tanah diancam akan ditangkap karena dianggap melakukan penghasutan.
Menurut Dhanil aparat hukum tidak bisa begitu saja menangkap warga Desa Wadas yang menolak pengukuran tanah untuk lokasi tambang batu andesit. Sebab proses hukum warga menolak izin penetapan lokasi (IPL) penambangan belum selesai.
Selain itu, izin penetapan lokasi (IPL) Bendungan Bener Purworejo tidak melampirkan peta lokasi. Sehingga kata Dahnil, tidak jelas daerah mana saja yang menjadi objek pengadaan tanah untuk Bendungan Bener.
“Dasar mengukur tanah di Desa Wadas itu apa? Karena di SK Gubernur Jateng soal IPL tidak ada secara langsung mengatakan bahwa Desa Wadas menjadi salah satu objek pengadaan tanah. Tidak ada lampiran di SK-nya,” ujar Dhanil.
Alasan lain warga menolak pengukuran tanah adalah putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi atas uji materiil UU 11/2020 tentang Cipta Kerja.
Mahkamah Konstitusi menyatakan, UU Cipta Kerja inkonstitusional bersyarat sehingga harus diperbaiki dalam waktu 2 tahun. Akibatnya semua proyek strategis pemerintah yang berlandaskan UU Cipta Kerja harus ditangguhkan.
“Bendungan Bener ini kan salah satu proyek pembangunan strategis. Artinya kalau pemerintah melihat putusan MK itu sebagai sesuatu yang penting, harusnya menangguhkan segala proses rencana pembangunan Bendungan Bener. Termasuk salah satunya pengadaan tanah (Desa Wadas).”
Calon lokasi penambangan batu di Desa Wadas disatukan dalam izin penetapan lokasi Bendungan Bener. Padahal kata Dhanil, kedua proyek tersebut memiliki
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 15, 2022
- Event Description
A network of vocational school students in Nakhon Sawan said their members were followed by police officers when they set up a table for people to sign a petition to repeal the royal defamation law.
The group said that on 26 December 2021, they went to Utthayan Sawan, a public park in Nakhon Sawan city, to set up a table for people to sign the petition to repeal to royal defamation law, or Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. While they were there, they were surrounded by around 10 uniformed and plainclothes police officers, who took photos and videos of the group, claiming security reasons.
The officers also asked for documents about the petition, but the students told them that they need to sign the petition to receive any document. Despite the surveillance, the group said that about 100 people came to sign the petition.
The students returned to the park on 15 January 2022 for another event. Instead of setting up a table, they walked around the park and invited people to sign the petition. During the activity, they were followed by around 10 plainclothes officers, who they said included Special Branch police, investigation officers, and Internal Security Operations officers. The students also said that the officers took photos and videos of their activity.
The officers also tried to question them about the petition. The students said that the officers asked them why they were collecting signatures and why Section 112 needs to be repealed. They then told the officers that the royal defamation law is a problematic law which violates the people’s freedom of expression, and that the monarch can also be protected by the same defamation law as ordinary citizens.
They were asked again for documents about the petition, but the students said that the officers needed to sign the petition to be given one.
The students said that even though the officers did not prohibit them from holding their event, they were being followed at all times while walking around the park, which could be the reason why they were not able to collect as many signatures as during their previous activity. They also found that a person who is likely to be an officer tried to ask them for a petition form, but did not intend to sign it.
The students said that while they were not intimidated by the officers’ action, they believe that it deters people from signing the petition, which is considered an attempt to block public participation, even though signing petitions to propose or repeal laws is a constitutional right. They have also had to guard signed forms from being accessed by the officers.
On 31 October 2021, during a protest at Ratchaprasong Intersection, the activist network Citizens for the Abolition of 112 launched a campaign to have parliament repeal the royal defamation law. An online petition was later launched on 5 November 2021 at no112.org. Within 24 hours, it received over 100,000 signatures, and now has over 230,000 signatures, 20 times the amount required by law for a bill to be proposed to parliament by civil society.
Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code states that defaming, insulting, or threatening “the King, the Queen, the Heir apparent, or the Regent” is punishable with 3 – 15 years of imprisonment. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 167 people have been charged with royal defamation for political expression since November 2020. Following a protest in front of the Royal Thai Police HQ on 18 November 2020, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that the government would use every law it had to stop pro-democracy protesters.
Several protest leaders are facing multiple counts of the charge, including Parit Chiwarak, who is facing 23 counts; Anon Nampa, 14 counts; Panupong Jadnok, 9 counts; Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, 9 counts; and Benja Apan, 6 counts.
Four people are currently detained pending trial on royal defamation charges: Parit Chiwarak, Jatupat Boonpattaraksa, Anon Nampa, and Panupong Jadnok.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jan 12, 2022
- Event Description
Police in Vietnam have arrested land rights activist Le Manh Ha on charges of spreading anti-state materials on social media, his wife told RFA Thursday.
Ha’s arrest Wednesday already marks the sixth time since the start of this year that authorities have detained people for human rights advocacy.
He had been operating a YouTube account called “People’s Voice Television” and a Facebook account called “Voice of the Vietnamese People,” where he shared his criticisms of the government.
Years ago, the government took his community’s land in Na Hang district in the northern province of Tuyen Quang to build a power plant. He has said that the government has not yet paid him and his former neighbors proper compensation. Since then, Ha has studied Vietnamese law and has helped others with legal advice and petitioning the government.
Police in plainclothes arrested Ha Wednesday in Tuyen Quang’s Chiem Hoa district. They took him to his current home in Tuyen Quang city and searched his house. His family told RFA’s Vietnamese Service that the authorities have not yet provided them with any documentation related to the arrest.
“At about 8:30 a.m. yesterday when I was getting my mother to the hospital, a local resident informed me that the police arrested Ha in Chiem Hoa,” Ha’s wife, Ma Thi Tho said.
“I decided to return home and got back around 9 a.m. and there were many police officers, around 20 or 30 of them, surrounding my home,” she said.
She said the police brought Le Manh Ha to the home at about 10:30 that morning.
“Shortly after his arrival, they read out a house search warrant and an order to prosecute my husband,” she said.
Among the items taken from Ha’s house were books on Vietnamese laws and its constitution.
Tho said police officers told her that her husband was in violation of Article 117 of Vietnam’s penal code, which prohibits spreading propaganda against the state. Article 117 has been described by analysts as a vague set of rules frequently used by authorities to stifle peaceful critics of the country’s one-party communist government.
“The real reason is because he has been fighting for the people,” Tho said.
Le Dinh Viet, Ha’s defense lawyer, said his client has been fighting to correct the injustice of not being compensated for his land during the construction of the hydropower plant.
“He did not break any laws,” Viet said.
The Tuyen Quang hydropower plant began operations in 2008, but the government has not yet finished compensating affected families. Authorities promised to provide 16 square meters of land in Tuyen Quang city for each family, but in 16 years, only half of them have received their plot of land.
While all land in Vietnam is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint between citizens and their government. Some small landholders have accused authorities of pushing them aside in favor of lucrative real estate or infrastructure projects, and then paying too little in compensation.
“The Vietnamese government is using criminal law to intimidate and shut down people peacefully protesting against land confiscation,” Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in December 2021 about the arrests of other land rights activists in the country.
“The government should release [everyone] arrested and imprisoned under Article 117, and abolish this abusive law,” he said.
Among the remaining five arrestees this year were Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen, Le Thanh Hoan Nguyen, and Le Thanh Trung Duong, monks at the Peng Lai Temple in the southern province of Long An.
The three monks, along with their previously arrested leader Le Tung Van, were charged with article 331 for “abusing rights to freedom and democrary to violate the State’s interests, legitimate interest of organizations and individuals.”
State media did not reveal their crime, but article 331 is often used in cases involving activists advocating for human rights and religious freedom.
The other two arrestees were Nguyen Thai Hung and his wife Vu Thi Kim Hoang from the southern province of Dong Nai. Hung was in the middle of a livestream when police stormed in and arrested the couple.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jan 11, 2022
- Event Description
The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) protests the arbitrary conviction of civil society activist Mai Phan Lợi to four years in prison by the Hanoi People’s Court at a one-day trial on 11 January 2022. Lợi was accused of “tax evasion” along with a colleague, Bạch Hùng Dương, who received a 30-month sentence. VCHR deplores the frequent use of tax-related charges as a pretext to detain and silence bloggers, human rights defenders civil society activists and other government critics in Vietnam.
“Mai Phan Lợi’s real “crime” is that of advocating greater independence for civil society in Vietnam” said VCHR President Võ Văn Ái. “As part of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Hanoi pledged to establish a Domestic Advisory Group composed of independent CSOs to monitor the trade agreement and make recommendations on issues of land rights, worker rights and the environment. Mai Phan Lợi is sent to prison simply for urging Vietnam to uphold its binding obligations to the EU and the Vietnamese people”.
Mai Phan Lợi, 51, is founder and chair of the Scientific Board of the Centre for Media in Educating Community (MEC), a government-registered non-profit organisation established in 2012. He is also a journalist, former Hanoi Bureau chief of the law magazine Pháp Luật. He was arrested on 24 June 2021 along with another prominent civil society activist, lawyer Đặng Đình Bách, director of the Law and Policy for Sustainable Development (LPSD). Both men were accused of “tax evasion” under Article 200 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code. No information has been made public so far on the situation of Đặng Đình Bách.
Lợi and Bách were both Executive Board members of VNGO-EVFTA Network, a group of development and environmental CSOs established in 2020 to raise awareness about EVFTA and its civil society component in Vietnam, the Vietnam Domestic Advisory Group (DAG). Lợi’s role was to organize chat-shows and workshops on MEC’s communications channel GTV to highlight the role of civil society in monitoring the implementation of EVFTA in Vietnam.
The Court ruled that Mai Phan Lợi had “ordered his subordinates not to keep accounting records” and “not to declare and pay tax”. According to reports of the trial in the State-controlled press, Lợi and his accomplice had evaded taxes of almost 2 billion dongs (77,500 Euros) from subventions and donations worth over 19 billion dongs received by his organisation over the past 10 years.
The arrests of these civil society activists and the lack of independence of the Vietnamese DAG has been strongly denounced by its EU counterpart, the EU DAG, most recently in a statement issued at the first meeting of the Vietnam-EU Joint Civil Society Dialogue Forum in November 2021: ”The EU DAG has consistently raised the cases of several civil society representatives in Vietnam arrested and imprisoned in recent months directly with both parties to the EVFTA. We are concerned by the limited number of participants in the Vietnamese DAG and therefore ask that a defined process for further civil society engagement and participation be clarified. This is all the more urgent as we understand that a number of civil society organisations have had their applications for participation [in the DAG] rejected on unclear grounds”.
Stressing that EVFTA “explicitly calls for DAGs to be composed of “independent representative organisations” (Article 13.14.15 of the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter), the EU DAG recalled that the civil society component was “the bedrock on which it can be ensured that the commitments undertaken are implemented in practice by both Parties”.
To obtain ratification of EVFTA, Vietnam adhered to all these provisions, but has failed to live up to its promises. Whereas the EU DAG, which was established in 2020 and consists of over 20 members including human rights NGOs, worker and employers organisations, business groups and environmental organisations, the Vietnamese DAG was not established until August 2021 – one year after EVFTA came into force. It has only three members, the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Institute for Workers and Trade Unions (an affiliate of the State-sponsored Vietnam General Confederation of Labour), and the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD). The criteria of independence specified for DAGs under EVFTA are clearly not applied in Vietnam.
VCHR calls on Vietnam to immediately release Mai Phan Lợi, Đặng Đình Bách, Bạch Hùng Dương and all other civil society activists detained for the legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression, association, assembly and freedom of religion or belief.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Vietnam: journalists were charged with tax invasion
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 10, 2022
- Event Description
A number of activists and journalists have reported being visited by police officers during the past week, with the officers often questioning their family members for information about them and their activities.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that at least 9 student activists in Chonburi were visited at home by police officers ahead of Burapha University’s graduation ceremony on 19 – 20 January 2022. The activists are members of the student activist group Kong Kang, which is active in the Chonburi area, but several have already graduated and are no longer active members of the group.
Doi (pseudonym), who graduated from Burapha University two years ago, told TLHR that his mother received a phone call from the assistant village head on 12 January 2022 and was told that 3 plainclothes officers had come looking for him. The officers told the assistant village head that they were from Chonburi, but the village is outside the province. They also said that they wanted to check on Doi and asked the assistant village chief where he was working and whether he is still involved in activism.
Doi’s family also found that the lock on their gates seemed to have been moved, and were not sure whether the officers tried to open the gates while no one was home. They also were not contacted by the police after the visit.
Doi told TLHR that he joined Kong Kang’s activities in late 2018, when the activists were calling for a general election, but did not join any activity after he graduated. He said that his family warned him after the visit, since they do not know what he was doing and was concerned that his job would be affected. He is also concerned that state officials know where he is, and he does not know what they want and what they will do next.
Ice (pseudonym), a third year student at Burapha University and current member of Kong Kang group, also told TLHR said 4 plainclothes officers came to see him at home during the evening of 14 January 2022.
The officers spoke to Ice and his father, and asked them about the Kong Kang group’s activities and whether the group planned to carry out any activity during the graduation ceremony, but did not explicitly tell Ice that they are not allowed to do so. The officers also took photos of Ice and his father standing with 3 of the officers.
Ice said that this is the first time he had been visited at home, and said that he was angry at the officers’ action as he felt he was being intimidated. He also felt unsafe as the officers made it seem like they know his personal information and where he was staying.
The Kong Kang group posted on Facebook that a total of 9 members had undergone police surveillance between 10 -15 January 2022. Several members received phone calls from Internal Security Operations officers and investigation officers asking for personal information and if they would be doing anything during the graduation ceremony.
TLHR said today (19 January 2022) that police officers went to another student’s house and asked about her. The student said that she was told by her father that a truck came driving past their house around 2 – 3 times. 3 officers who said they were from Police Investigation Bureau Division 2 then left the truck and spoke to her father. They asked whether she was home, about her political attitude, and told her father they were concerned that she would take part in a demonstration during the graduation ceremony.
The student also said that, on 15 January 2022, she saw a vehicle with dark windows parked in front of her dorm, and that the same vehicle followed her when she went out to eat and go to a convenience store.
Other activists and journalists also reported facing police surveillance between 10 – 15 January 2022. “Admin Ninja,” a citizen journalist from the Facebook page Live Real, said that on 15 January 2022, police officers came asking for him at his residence, which is not his address according to the household register, but is the address he gave to the police when he was arrested while live streaming a protest at the Din Daeng Intersection on 6 October 2021.
Suramet Noyubon, a citizen journalist from the Facebook page Friends Talk, said that a group of people claiming to be inquiry officers from Thung Song Hong Police Station went to his parents’ house and claimed that he was involved with Thalugaz, a group of protesters who staged nightly protests at the Din Daeng Intersection. They also did not present a police ID card or a warrant.
Suramet said that he was not involved with the Din Daeng protests, but was only live broadcasting them. On Monday (17 January 2022), Suramet and Nonthaburi New Generation Network activist Jetsada Sripleng went to Thung Song Hong Police Station, as they were both visited by men claiming to be from the Station.
Suramet said that the Thung Song Hong police superintendent apologized and told them that the men were indeed from Thung Song Hong Police Station, but that they misunderstood their superiors’ order, leading to the incident. Suramet also said that he asked the superintendent to make sure that every officer follows the proper protocol, especially presenting their police ID card before any operation.
Meanwhile, Voice TV talk show host Sirote Klampaiboon said that police officers came to his house on 15 January 2022, the second time he has been visited by the police. 2 plainclothes officers went to his house in Dusit district, Bangkok, and asked for him, claiming that they were ordered to observe his house once a month. Sirote was not home at the time. His family members told the officers that he was not home, so the officers asked to take a picture of them before leaving.
Sirote said that there are around 20 other people in Dusit district, including 2 Thammasat University lecturers, who are on the police’s watchlist. He also said that the visit frightened his 90-year-old mother and that if the authorities have problems with him, they should speak to him directly, as many people in the government already have his phone number.
iLaw also reported that plainclothes police officers visited the family home of a member of the activist group Thalufah at least 3 times between 13 – 15 January 2022. While the activist is on the household register for that address, they do not currently live there and only their family members are staying at the address. They also recorded the officers’ visits on the house’s CCTV cameras.
On 13 January 2022, a man named Nattakorn Chusano said that police officers came to his condominium around 2 – 3 times and were asking around for him and whether he has been to protests recently. The officers also threatened to charge him if he joins another protest.
Another activist named Tawan (last name withheld) also saw a truck likely to have been a police truck driving past their house on 14 January 2022, and said that they saw the truck slowed down to look inside the house.
iLaw noted that state officials have no legal right to follow or visit the residence of citizens who have not committed a crime, or to go inside their residence to speak to anyone who is there and ask for information without cause for suspicion that the person has committed a crime.
- Impact of Event
- 13
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker, Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 7, 2022
- Event Description
Community rights activist Khairiyah Rahmanyah, 18, said she received a summons from the Pathumwan Police Station for violating the Emergency Decree and the Sound Amplifier Act.
Khairiyah, a 1st-year student at the Prince of Songkhla University’s Faculty of Communication Sciences, said that she has to report to Pathumwan Police Station on Friday, 7 January 2022. She was uncertain of why she was being harassed, said that she just wants to study like other people, and asked why it was no longer possible for people in the country to voice their opinions.
On 29 November 2021, Khairiyah came to Bangkok to follow up on an as-of-yet unfulfilled promise the government made in 2019 to reconsider a 16,700-rai Chana industrial estate project and conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). She sat in front of Government House every evening for a week to remind the administration of its pledge, but received no response from the authorities.
On 6 December 2021, a group of Chana community members came to Bangkok to occupy the area in front of Government House to demand that the government keep its promises. They were arrested that evening at their camp and charged with violation of the Emergency Decree. Held overnight at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, they were released on 7 December without bail on the condition that they not return to Government House.
After their release, the protesters occupied the foothpath in fron of the UN headquarters on Ratchadamneon Avenue for five days before marching to Government House and occupying the nearby Chamai Maruchet bridge.
On Tuesday, 14 December, the cabinet finally issued a resolution to conduct an SEA, temporarily halting the Chana industrial zone project. The National Economic and Social Development Council was tasked with leading the SEA process. The results will be evaluated by Thaksin and Prince of Songkla Universities. The next morning, the protesters left for Songkhla.
When they were occupying the footpath in front of the UN headquarters, Khairiyah and several other young protesters from Chana participated in an event organised by the People Go Network. On 10 December 2021, she spoke on stage and participated in discussion circles about community rights issues at the courtyard in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC).
The Faculty of Political Science Student Union at the Prince of Songkhla University Pattani campus issued a statement last night (4 December) decrying the police action as a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) and an attempt to silence people exercising their constitutional right to demand justice for their community.
The Student Union also asked the university administration to stand by students who face harassment from state officials and support students fighting charges. They further asked that the authorities respect people’s rights and end unwarranted prosecutions.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Jan 7, 2022
- Event Description
Local news website editor Pu Tuidim became the third journalist to be killed in Myanmar in just over three weeks when he was abducted and murdered by government soldiers in the northwest of the country last weekend. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this barbaric murder of a reporter who tried to inform his fellow citizens about the fighting between armed rebels and the military junta.
Pu Tuidim’s body was found in Matupi township, in Chin State, a mountainous region bordering on India, on the morning of 9 January, two days after he and nine other civilians were abducted by members of the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s armed forces, as he was covering the clashes between the Tatmadaw and local armed rebels. The soldiers shot him after using him as a human shield.
He was the founder and editor of the Khonumthung Media Group, a local news outlet named after Chin State’s highest mountain. Tragically, the website had just published an article about the Tatmadaw’s use of civilians as human shields.
On the evening of 9 January, Pu Tuidim's colleagues posted a statement condemning this practice and deploring their editor’s death “caused by the military council’s atrocities.” The message was circulated throughout the region under the hashtag of #အထူးဝမ်းနည်းကြေကွဲခြင်း, a Burmese expression meaning “Special Mourning.”
Escalating terror
“Cruelty, cynicism, barbarity – these words seem inadequate to describe Pu Tuidim’s shocking murder,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “He is the third journalist to be killed in Myanmar in less than a month, in a sign of the absolutely unacceptable practices increasingly employed by the junta. We appeal to the international community to toughen the sanctions imposed on the junta’s members in order to end this headlong escalation in terror.”
The most recent previous media fatality was Federal News Journal editor Sai Win Aung, who was killed by gunfire near the Thai border in the southeastern state of Kayin during a Tatmadaw artillery attack on 25 December. He was also covering fighting between the Tatmadaw and the People’s Defence Force (PDF), the armed resistance to the junta.
Freelance photographer Soe Naing was the first journalist to die at the junta’s hands. He died under torture on 14 December, four days after soldiers arrested him while he was covering a silent street protest in Yangon.
The number of journalists imprisoned in Myanmar has meanwhile risen to at least 59, according to RSF’s press freedom violations barometer, which is constantly updated.
They include two journalists who worked for the Zayar Times, a newspaper that was closed when the military staged their coup last February. The two journalists, deputy editor Pyae Phyo Aung and reporter Myint Myat Aung (also known as D. Myat Nyein), were each sentenced to two years in prison for “inciting crime” in a trial last week inside the prison where they are being held in the central city of Shwebo. The did not have access to a lawyer.
Myanmar is ranked 140th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2021 World Press Freedom Index.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jan 5, 2022
- Event Description
Police in Vietnam broke into a home and arrested a couple while the husband was livestreaming criticism of the government, their family told RFA.
Nguyen Thai Hung and his wife Vu Thi Kim Hoang were arrested Jan. 5 at about 6 p.m. in their home in the southern province of Dong Nai while Hung was on YouTube.
Viewers of the livestream were able to witness the arrest as it occurred. About 20 minutes into the broadcast, Hung left his computer to investigate what sounded like glass breaking. Shortly after, a man in an orange “Electricity of Vietnam” uniform appeared in frame, shouting, “Stay still. Don’t move.”
At that point, the webcam was turned down to show only a corner of the table and what looks to be a script.
Provincial authorities charged Hoang with “abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to violate the state’s interests.” They have yet to make any official statement on Hung’s arrest.
The couple’s arrest was carried out by people in plain clothes, Hoang’s sister, Vu Giang Tien, told RFA.
“Two men suddenly broke into my sister’s house by climbing over the fence. Then they cut the gate lock open and rushed into the house,” she said.
“My sister’s oldest daughter got scared and started screaming. My mother, who lives next door, came over immediately and shouted, ‘Robbers! Robbers!’ when seeing the intruders in plain clothes, not in police uniforms,” Tien said.
When a man wearing yellow appeared with a gun, Tien said her mother stopped shouting out of fear.
“Those people took the two kids to a room upstairs to ask questions. Others who had already entered the house broke the glass door to open it. They searched the house, making a big mess, and they arrested Hung and Hoang and took them away,” Tien said.
The police did not announce why the couple were arrested or present any documents related to the arrest, the family said.
When the family asked why Hoang was also arrested, the police said they needed to take her away for investigation because she was involved in concealing a crime.
Two days later, the family went to the police station to find out more and were told by police that Hoang had been arrested for “abusing the rights to freedom and democracy” and that she was being held at a detention house elsewhere in the province.
The police did not provide them with any information about Hung, they said.
Tien said that Hung had been sharing his views on his YouTube channel for more than a year. The channel, established in January 2020, has around 40,000 followers. Videos are no longer available on the account.
Hung’s Facebook account is active, but the most recent post, which discussed the death of a young soldier, Tran Duc Do, is from July 2021.
Vietnam is ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index for 2021. Vietnam’s already low tolerance of dissent deteriorated sharply in 2020 with a spate of arrests of independent journalists, publishers and Facebook personalities in the run-up to the ruling Communist Party Congress in January 2021.
Police have arrested at least 40 political dissidents since then, most of them charged with "disseminating anti-state materials,” according to RFA reports.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist, Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Jan 5, 2022
- Event Description
On January 5, authorities in the central province of Ha Tinh arrested local Facebooker Nguyen Duc Hung and charged him with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code with potential imprisonment of between seven and 12 years in prison, even to 20 years. Ha Tinh is the coastal province most affected by the waste dumping of Taiwan’s Formosa Steel plant in 2016 and Mr. Hung is among outspoken independent journalists about the environmental disaster. He was kidnapped by the local security forces when he was on his way to workplace.
Nguyen Duc Hung was accused of using social networks such as Facebook and Youtube to address the country’s issues such as land seizure, corruption, environmental pollution caused by industrial groups including Formosa, etc. He will be held incommunicado for at least four months, a common practice applied by Vietnam’s investigation agencies in so-called “national security” cases. Police have also conducted house searches and confiscated his laptops, cell phones and other personal items.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
Information provided by Defend the Defenders
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Jan 3, 2022
- Event Description
2:55 p.m.
Striking casino workers resumed their protests outside Phnom Penh’s NagaWorld casino this afternoon following the arrests of 10 people on New Year’s Eve, as police were seen immediately arresting at least one more protester.
A fire truck arrived at the scene just after the arrest around 2:30 p.m., as protesters yelled they feared it would be used to spray them.
“It’s an injustice,” one woman was heard yelling near the casino. “Why are you helping a foreign company suppress workers?”
“Please release them,” she said as a police van drove past.
Around 300 workers are seeking reinstatement following layoffs of more than 1,300 NagaWorld workers last year, including union representatives.
They began protesting last month, and were joined by some current casino workers as crowds grew to around 1,000 on some days.
On New Year’s Eve, police cracked down on an evening protest, arresting eight people from the union’s office as well as a tuk-tuk driver and a worker outside NagaWorld 2.
Six were questioned in court over the weekend. Union president Chhim Sithar said on Monday that four of them had been released today but the six were still held at the court without knowing the charges they faced.
“We know from the beginning these tactics will be used to intimidate the members from stopping the strike,” she said.
Reporters saw no protests over the weekend.
More fire trucks were seen arriving at the scene around 2:40 p.m.
“We are coming to do nonviolent protests, but they come like they are going to war,” one worker said in a live video broadcast by protesters.
3:10 p.m.
Ma Chettra, an official at NGO the Cambodian Youth Network, said one of the arrested women, Luch Romduol, had called him saying there were 14 protesters together in a police van. She believed they were being taken to the municipal police station. One of the 14 was a man, and another was a pregnant woman, Chettra said Romduol had told him.
Near NagaWorld, around 300-400 workers continued their protest, while the park in front of the NagaWorld 1 building was cleared.
3:45 p.m.
A video from strikers shared on Facebook by Central’s Khun Tharo shows authorities grabbing women by their arms as they link arms to resist, with authorities dragging them outside the camera’s view. One woman can be heard shouting, “oh my god!” District guards appear to grab for phones, and the cameras shake uncontrollably.
In another video posted by a strike participant, an arrested woman films inside a police van, saying she is one of 14 people inside the back of a truck with pinhole-sized windows.
“We are the strikers, and now we have been arrested and placed in a cage,” a woman is heard saying in the video. “Help and share with all of the people. This is a grave injustice, what have we done wrong? Even a pregnant woman is arrested and pulled in and beaten.”
“Why, when we just come to protest? Why do the state and the forces arrest us? … This is very cruel. What have we done wrong? Now we do not know where they will take us.”
4:35 p.m.
One of several hundred protest participants said their colleagues had been arrested near the roundabout on the corner of Sisowath Quay and Sihanouk Blvd., known for the statue of dictionary author Chuon Nath, as they tried to join the fenced-off strike site next to the Australian Embassy on National Assembly Blvd.
Strike participants were seated behind red and white barricades set up by police, making noise with plastic horns and homemade shakers of empty plastic bottles and gravel. As a worker read the strike demands into a megaphone, they cheered and sounded the instruments.
Panha, a NagaWorld employee laid off after four years there, said he was not scared of anything, even knowing his colleagues were arrested.
“This is disappointing. I will keep coming until they arrest all of us,” he said.
One striking woman shouted to reporters that she would keep coming until the company offered a solution.
“If we do not come, we will die. The foreigners are working inside so easily, but we are not like them.”
“This makes us stronger. When we are scared, no one is coming [to help],” she continued.
Chan Pel, 43, said she had been working for NagaWorld for 22 years before she was laid off in May. She said she had joined the strike daily and would continue to do so.
“I’m not scared even if they arrested our friends. I’m hurting,” she said. “This encourages me to come here more and more. My heart is burning. I won’t stop coming until we get the solution.”
Riot police moved back at about 3 p.m., following the arrests of 14 union members.
4:53 p.m.
Naga union president Chhim Sithar said a total of 15 union members had been arrested on Monday afternoon according to strike participants, an update from earlier reports that 14 people were arrested. She told VOD earlier Monday afternoon that she planned to participate in the strike this week.
6:55 p.m.
Strikers departed around 6 p.m. chanting “we will come back tomorrow,” after 15 more protesters were arrested Monday afternoon and the Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor issued a warrant naming nine union members in an investigation.
The prosecutor named nine NagaWorld union members as suspects for incitement charges for their role in the 17-day strike against alleged labor rights violations by Hong Kong-listed casino group NagaCorp.
Six of the nine workers named by the prosecutor were arrested on New Year’s Eve and charged on Monday with incitement under articles 494 and 495 of the criminal procedure law, according to human rights group Licadho. A total of 10 people were picked up in the New Year’s Eve crackdown, but four were released on Monday morning, union president Chhim Sithar told VOD earlier Monday.
Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesperson San Sokseyha said Monday afternoon that he had yet to receive a report about the day’s arrests.
Municipal court spokesperson Y Rin said the case of six people arrested on Friday was in the hands of the investigating judge.
As strikers headed toward the Aeon Mall I parking lot, Police quickly removed red-and-white barricades without taking any action against the participants.
Patrick Lee, a legal adviser for labor group Central, told VOD that the authorities’ crackdown on the strike was a tactic to suppress the union members’ rights, and called for the detained strikers’ release.
“These arrests appear to be little more than a blatant attempt to dissuade peacefully striking workers from exercising their fundamental rights,” he said. “They have been arrested as a means to try and silence the voices of others. These workers should all be immediately released without charge.”
4:06 p.m.
After more than two weeks of protests and more than 20 arrests, the head of the NagaWorld union attempted to join an ongoing strike outside the Phnom Penh casino this afternoon despite an active arrest warrant against her.
Just before 4 p.m., however, Chhim Sithar was arrested by police officers on National Assembly Road, outside the Australian Embassy, as she entered barricades cordoning off the workers’ rally.
In addition to uniformed officers, undercover officers also pounced on her, and pulled her into a white sedan.
The strike and protest, which began last month, relate to the termination of more than 1,300 workers from the casino, including, in particular, top union leaders at NagaWorld.
Sithar, president of the Labor Rights Supported Union, was among those fired, and had been largely absent at rallies as authorities deemed the strike illegal. She was among nine names listed in an arrest warrant issued on Monday by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court prosecutor. Ten people were arrested on Friday and a further 17 on Monday.
5:45 p.m.
The remaining two wanted NagaWorld workers have turned themselves in, police said, on the same day union president Chhim Sithar was violently arrested outside the Phnom Penh casino.
Seventeen workers arrested on Monday either have been or will be released by tomorrow at the latest, police said.
Near NagaWorld, worker Chhuon Saman started crying as she described her reaction to Sithar’s arrest.
“It’s been 16 days that I’ve been here. My representative came and they arrested her. I feel heartbreak. They are so cruel,” Saman said. “I wanted her to come here. … But she wasn’t here yet. They caught her. I can’t accept this.”
“Today this made my conscience more and more powerful to keep going,” Saman added.
Pov Kalyan, a woman who witnessed Sithar’s arrest from close, shouted furiously
“They arrested one Sithar, but we still have a thousand Sithars. Arrest us as they wish,” She said.
Kalyan said she was not one of the more than 1,300 fired workers. But she could not go back to work seeing the pressure NagaWorld was putting on her coworkers, she said.
“I cannot step into work like this when my friends receive injustice from the company,” she said. “I’m scared. I must be brave. If they want to arrest me, I’m standing here.”
Phnom Penh Municipal Police chief Sar Thet confirmed Sithar’s arrest and said all nine people in an arrest warrant issued by the municipal prosecutor were now found. Six of them had been arrested on Friday.
“Two men came to make a confession,” he said, referring to two workers, Sok Narith and Sok Kongkea. When asked about potential leniency for turning themselves in, he said: “This is the judge’s right and power.”
Asked about 17 people arrested on Monday — none of whom were on the arrest warrant — Thet said a pregnant woman was already released and the others should also be out soon.
“Sixteen people are being educated, and will be allowed home this evening or tomorrow at the latest,” he said. “They have nothing to do with it. They just follow others.”
Sithar’s arrest was reported enthusiastically on government-aligned Fresh News: “Finally! Ms. Chhim Sithar, Mastermind of Incitement of Illegal Gatherings in Front of NagaWorld, Has Been Arrested by Authorities.”
At the rally, authorities could be heard telling workers to leave by 6 p.m.
6:03 p.m.
Workers began leaving the rally together as a group near 6 p.m.
Naly Pilorge, director of local human rights group Licadho, said the union had done everything it could to resolve the strike peacefully, but the government and NagaWorld had chosen to intimidate, harass, and arrest peaceful strikers.
“Chhim Sithar’s courage in showing up to today’s strike, knowing that she faced absurd and false charges of incitement, is a sharp contrast to the cowardly violence of those who arrested and assaulted her. This violent arrest of a peaceful unionist is outrageous, and shows the government has given up all pretense of respecting its own laws on labor rights,” she said.
Peaceful strikes were not crimes, unions were not illegal, and workers’ rights must be respected by both employers and the government, Pilorge added.
“The government has abused ‘incitement’ charges to the point that they are meaningless, and are now regularly used to criminalize legal and peaceful speech and association. These unionists are, in effect, being prosecuted for daring to organize a peaceful and effective union. They must all be immediately and unconditionally released.”
Protester Lou Mei Fong said earlier in the afternoon that she was not scared and would continue to rally.
“I do not have any concerns because I do it legally, and I will continue to do so until there is a solution for us,” Mei Fong said. “As long as NagaWorld comes out to solve the problem for us, we will return to work as normal.”
“We’re striking against the company, not against authorities.”
The protests began again on Tuesday around 2 p.m., attracting more than 100 workers.
The U.S. Embassy said on Twitter that it was closely following “the troubling arrests” of NagaWorld workers.
- Impact of Event
- 16
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Use of Excessive Force, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Labour rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 3, 2022
- Event Description
Kantapat (surname withheld), a 17 year old student activist, was summoned to the Nong Ki police station in Buriram Province on 3 January to sign a paper affirming that he would not interfere with an upcoming royal procession of Princess Sirindhorn on 5 January.
According to the Buriram Provincial Cultural Office, Princess Sirindhorn was planning to visit two Border Patrol Police Schools in the Lahansai and Pakham Districts on 5 January. En route, the royal procession was scheduled to pass through Nong Ki District.
Kantapat told Prachatai that he received a phone call from a police officer on 2 January asking him not to stage any activity on 5 January. The police also asked that he go to the police station to sign a daily record and allow police to confirm his whereabouts via telephone at least twice a day during 3-5 January period.
The activist said that he had no plan to organise an activity during that time and was instead preparing for a midterm exam that was scheduled for after the long new year’s holiday. Despite this, plainclothes police reportedly kept an eye on him at his home and school.
He could not explain why the police were ‘so anxious’.
Kantapat has been a target of the local police and school authorities since 2020, when he organised political activities in support of the pro-democracy movement and against the school’s uniform policy.
As a result of police monitoring prior to the 14 November monarchy reform protest in Bangkok, he was unable to join the demonstration.
In December 2020, his parents were also summoned to his school to hear complaints about his political activism and Facebook posts criticicing the school principal. In April 2021, the school forced him to sign a resignation letter stating that he had failed to meet school standards of behaviour by demonstrating his ‘love for the nation, religion and the monarch. The reason pertained to his pro-democracy activities.
He was told that if he repeated the offence, the resignation paper would become immediately effective.
Police monitoring of activists in advance of royal visits has been frequent since the 2014 coup. Activists in Northern Thailand have reported such monitoring on a number of occasions. The latest was on 20 December 2021 when Pakawadee Veerapaspong, a Chiang Mai activist and translator, was visited by plainclothes policemen before Princess Sirindhorn’s royal visit in Chiang Mai Province on 24 December. A full report was published by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
Prior to the Kantapat incident, royal processions in Bangkok have been targeted by activists twice. On 28 December 2021, three activists held up banners with the message “abolish Section 112” at a procession of King Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok. They were arrested and fined.
Two days later, another two activists were arrested and charged with royal defamation after raising a banner at the Equestrian Monument Intersection close by one of the King’s palaces shortly before a royal procession passed the area. The banner demanded the release of detained protesters.
Arrests in both cases involved the use of force, resulting in cuts and, in one instance, a dislocated shoulder.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Restrictions on Movement, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Jan 3, 2022
- Event Description
Anthony Hamzah, Ketua Koperasi Petani Sawit Makmur (Kopsa M) mengajukan praperadilan di PN Bangkinang, atas penangkapan Satreskrim Polres Kampar, 3 Januari lalu. Permohonan dibacakan, 31 Januari di hadapan Hakim Tunggal Ersin, setelah mundur satu minggu.
Masalah ini berawal dari peristiwa petang, 15 Oktober dua tahun lalu. Hari itu, Hendra Sakti Effendi, kuasa hukum Kopsa M, memboyong sekitar 300 massa mengusir 72 karyawan dari mes di kebun sawit PT Langgam Harmuni (LH), di Desa Pangkalan Baru, Kecamatan Siak Hulu, Kampar, Riau.
Mereka memaksa para penghuni rumah mengosongkan tempat tinggal. Imbasnya, beberapa rumah rusak dan beberapa orang mengaku kehilangan harta benda maupun barang berharga lain. Ada pula yang mengaku diperas.
Sehari setelah kejadian, General Manager LH, Karealitas Zagota alias Karel buat laporan polisi ke Polres Kampar. Penyidik lalu menetapkan Hendra Sakti dan Aris Zanolo Laia alias Marvel tersangka. PN Bangkinang menjatuhkan hukuman masing-masing 2, 2 dan 1,8 bulan bui kepada keduanya karena terbukti melakukan pemerasan.
Atas laporan polisi itu, penyidik mengembangkan kasus dan menetapkan Anthony jadi tersangka, berdasarkan surat perintah penyidikan (sprindik) dan surat pemberitahuan dimulainya penyidikan (SPDP) 9 September 2021. Anthony dituduh otak pelaku dan mendanai aksi itu.
Anthony kemudian cari perlindungan hukum. Hasto Atmojo Suroyo, Ketua Lembaga Perlindungan Saksi dan Korban (LPSK) pun menerima permohonan layanan pemenuhan hak prosedural dan perlindungan hukum, sepanjang Oktober 2021-Maret 2022, atau selama enam bulan.
Pada 24 November 2021, Kasat Reskrim Polres Kampar Bery Juana Putra menetapkan status daftar pencarian orang (DPO) terhadap Anthony.
“Penetapan tersangka Pak Anthony tidak dapat dibenarkan dan bertentangan dengan peraturan perundang-undangan. Apalagi dia dalam status terlindungi,” kritik Disna Riantina, Kuasa Hukum Anthony. Dia menyoroti laporan polisi yang dibuat Karel.
Karel dianggap tak memenuhi syarat dan memiliki hak mewakili LH, melaporkan kejadian pencurian dan perusakan di kebun perusahaan. Alasannya, LH selama ini tidak memiliki izin usaha kebun sawit. Agustus tahun lalu, LH diketahui baru mengajukan permohonan izin usaha perkebunan ke Pemkab Kampar.
Disna mengatakan, pelaku yang dilaporkan Kareal adalah Hendra Sakti, Marvel dan beberapa pelaku lapangan. Kemudian, putusan perkara Hendra Sakti dan Marvel sudah berkekuatan hukum tetap, tidak menyebut Anthony tersangka.
Anthony sudah pernah diperiksa dan diminta keterangan dalam penyidikan dua perkara itu justru tak pernah dipanggil selama persidangan.
Surat yang diterima keluarga Anthony 15 September 2021 juga tidak mencantumkan nama Anthony sebagai tersangka. Anehnya, SPDP ini justru merujuk laporan polisi 16 Oktober 2020 dan sprindik 6 Januari 2020, yang digunakan dalam perkara Hendra Sakti dan Marvel.
Berarti, ada dua sprindik dalam satu laporan polisi. Kalau dicermati lagi, katanya, sprindik untuk Hendra Sakti dan Marvel terbit duluan sebelum laporan polisi dibuat.
Hendri Sakti mengakui, aksi pengosongan rumah karyawan LH itu inisiatif dia sendiri dan tak ada koordinasi maupun komunikasi dengan Anthony. Dia juga tidak pakai dana operasional jasa pengacara yang pernah diberi Kopsa M untuk menggerakkan massa. Keterangan ini tertuang dalam putusan Nomor: 384/Pid.B/2021/PN Bkn tertanggal 2 November halaman 43-47.
“Jadi tidak ada pertimbangan majelis hakim yang mengatakan Anthony Hamzah ikut dan turut serta melakukan tindak pidana seperti yang dilaporkan,” kata kuasa hukum Anthony dalam berkas permohonan praperadilan.
Keanehan tidak hanya sampai di situ. Saat Anthony jadi tersangka 9 September 2021, dia sama sekali belum pernah dipanggil dan diminta keterangan terkait kasus yang menjeratnya. Polres Kampar baru kirim surat panggilan pertama pada 27 September dan panggilan kedua 6 Oktober. Satu saksi atas nama Henni Puspita Sari juga terima dua kali surat panggilan setelah ada tersangka.
Surat perintah membawa, penangkapan dan penahanan Anthony juga dinilai cacat hukum. Anthony ditangkap di Bekasi, Jawa Barat, 3 Januari 2022. Surat perintah membawa keluar di Bangkinang, Riau, pada jam, hari dan tanggal sama. Nomor surat perintah membawa dan penangkapan juga sama dan dikeluarkan pada waktu berbeda.
Saat membawa Anthony, Tim Polres Kampar tidak meninggalkan surat apapun pada istri maupun anak Anthony, saat itu. Sejumlah surat itu baru diserahkan ke keluarga Anthony, 5 Januari 2022 setelah istri Anthony beberapa kali menanyakan kabar suaminya.
Delita Zul, istri Anthony juga memohon praperadilan ke PN Bangkinang menyoal legalitas perusahaan melaporkan peristiwa perusakan rumah karyawan kebun, penetapan tersangka, penangkapan, penahanan serta administrasi kepolisian lain.
Polres Kampar mengaku telah mengumpul dan mendapat lebih dua alat bukti sah berupa keterangan 16 saksi termasuk Anthony, keterangan dua ahli, surat dan senjata yang dipakai massa saat mendatangi perumahan karyawan LH. Prosedur itu polisi klaim sesuai Peraturan Kapolri 6/2019.
Terkait dua sprindik dalam satu laporan polisi, Polres Kampar menyebut hanya sebatas administrasi untuk penyesuaian nama personil yang menangani perkara Anthony. Dalam rujukan SPDP juga dijelaskan, penetapan tersangka Anthnoy bukan hanya sprindik 9 September 2021 juga sprindik 6 Januari 2021.
Polres Kampar tak menjawab keberatan kuasa hukum Anthony soal tahun penerbitan sprindik Hendra Sakti yang keluar dulu daripada laporan polisi. Polisi juga tidak menjelaskan perbedaan nomor laporan polisi dalam penetapan tersangka dan status DPO Anthony.
Polres Kampar mengaitkan keterlibatan Anthony dalam perusakan dan pengosongan rumah karyawan LH berdasarkan pertimbangan majelis dalam putusan Hendra Sakti halaman 61 yang menyebut aksi itu diketahui dan atas perintah Anthony.
Polres Kampar juga menyebut Anthony, sebagai tersangka tidak kooperatif karena dua kali tidak penuhi panggilan penyidik. Upaya penangkapan dan penahanan pun dianggap sah. Lagi pula, perlindungan LPSK terhadap Anthony sebagai saksi bukan tersangka. Status ini dinilai tak serta merta Anthony kebal hukum.
Polres Kampar sepertinya kurang cermat. Perlindungan LPSK terhadap Anthony sebagai saksi pelaku atau tersangka yang dijelaskan dalam halaman 13 paragraf akhir dan halaman 14 paragraf awal. Polres Kampar juga tidak menjawab keberatan Anthony, soal tidak ada koordinasi dengan LPSK atas tindakan hukum yang mereka lakukan.
Perusahaan tak berizin
Atas kasus perusahaan belum punya IUP, pengurus Kopsa M juga melayangkan surat keberatan ke pemerintah setempat karena LH menguasai 398 hektar lahan koperasi. Mereka juga melaporkan ke Bareskrim Polri, 27 Mei tahun lalu penyerobotan lahan dan tindak pidana perkebunan. Polisi sudah turun dan memeriksa sejumlah saksi termasuk perusahaan.
Idrus, Kabid Usaha Perkebun Dinas Perkebunan, Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan (Disbunnakkeswan) Kampar membenarkan, permohonan izin usaha perkebunan (IUP) perusahaan yang masih tertahan di Dinas Penanaman Modal dan Pelayanan Terpadu Satu Pintu (DPMPTSP), Kampar. Informasi yang dia ketahui, LH harus mendapat dokumen pengelolaan lingkungan hidup terlebih dahulu.
Meski LH beroperasi tanpa izin sejak 2008, Disbunnakkeswan Kampar belum pernah mengawasi atau mengecek langsung operasi perusahaan. Dinas cenderung pasif hanya mengimbau perusahaan agar mengurus izin. Dinas tak berinisiatif mengecek kondisi lapangan ketika mengetahui ada pergolakan di masyarakat.
“Kami baru mengecek lapangan setelah ada permohonan izin,” kata Idrus.
Dia tidak menyangkal ada penolakan petani dan anggota Kopsa M. LH, katanya, harus menyelesaikan terlebih dahulu masalah itu. Persoalan ini, katanya, akan dibahas Dinas Lingkungan Hidup (DLH) Kampar dalam permohonan izin lingkungan.
Kabid Tata Lingkungan DLH Kampar Agustriyadi membenarkan ada permohonan dokumen pengelolaan lingkungan oleh perusahaan.
Agus sudah mengetahui keluhan koperasi jauh hari. Dia terima surat Setara Institute dan Equality Law Firm, pendamping dan kuasa hukum Kopsa M, tentang penyerobotan lahan oleh perusahaan.
Masalahnya, Agus tidak menjawab atau membalas surat itu. Dia juga tidak mengundang petani dan pengurus Kopsa M untuk minta klarifikasi. Sikapnya pasif, hanya berharap pihak yang menolak dan keberatan datang menemui langsung.
Sebaliknya, Agus justru respon cepat dengan meminta klarifikasi pada LH. Katanya, perusahaan klaim tak ada konflik lahan melainkan pertikaian dua pengurus koperasi. LH menyatakan bertanggungjawab bila ada masalah kemudian hari. Agus pun manut dengan surat pernyataan yang dibuat LH.
Agus juga aktif minta klarifikasi sampai ke Kantor Pertanahan Kampar. Lembaga itu juga sudah memberikan notulensi yang menyatakan tak ada masalah lahan yang jadi obyek permohonan LH. Dia juga menyerahkan masalah itu pada LH untuk diselesaikan, tetapi mengabaikan keberatan petani dan koperasi.
“Secara sarat administrasi, yang kami terima sudah lengkap. Sudah uji publik tujuh hari. Ada surat penolakan dan sudah kami rapatkan dengan sekretariat daerah juga. Konfliknya berbeda. Maka kami coba ekspos,” katanya, ketika dihubungi, akhir Januari 2022.
Patar Pangasian, pengacara LH hanya membaca permintaan konfirmasi dan pertanyaan seputar permohonan dokumen pengelolaan lingkungan dan IUP yang dikirim ke nomor telepon celularnya. Dihubungi 17 Januari lalu, dia sempat bilang lahan Kopsa M tak ada sangkut paut dengan lahan kliennya. Saat Mongabay hubungi lagi, dia bilang tengah sibuk.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Dec 31, 2021
- Event Description
On December 31, a court in Hanoi sentenced Le Trong Hung to five years in prison and five years of probation after his release.
Le Trong Hung campaigned as an independent candidate for the 15th National Assembly election in May 2021.
Police arrested Le Trong Hung on March 27, two months before the election, and charged him with conducting propaganda against the state in violation of article 117(1) of the Vietnamese Penal Code. A Hanoi court is scheduled to hear his case on December 31. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in prison.
“Imprisoning activists like Le Trong Hung who dare to run as independent candidates for parliament shows what a charade Vietnam’s elections are,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should immediately and unconditionally release him instead of prosecuting him for challenging the status quo.”
Le Trong Hung (also known as Hung Gan), 41, is a former government middle school teacher. In 2015, after filing a petition without success demanding reform to benefit students in a school in Hanoi, he quit teaching. In 2017 he began reporting as a citizen journalist on Facebook and YouTube, commenting on social issues and advising people petitioning the government.
He participated in anti-China protests and protests for environmental conservation. He used social media to share news about protests in Myanmar and the struggles of Vietnamese activists such as Trinh Ba Phuong, Trinh Ba Tu, and Pham Doan Trang. He also promoted education and knowledge about Vietnam’s Constitution, and offered people free copies of the constitution.
In February Le Trong Hung announced his plan to run as an independent candidate for the National Assembly election. He published his proposed policies, promising that, if elected, he would promote education about constitutional rights and campaign for laws to allow peaceful protests, freedom of association, and a citizens’ watchdog role over government. His policy agenda also included a call to amend the constitution and repeal articles granting supremacy to the Communist Party of Vietnam (article 4), allowing only a single trade union (article 10), and confirming state ownership of all land, water, and natural resources (article 53), among others.
On February 23 Le Trong Hung challenged Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to a debate on television, since Nguyen Phu Trong was running as the parliamentary candidate in the residential area where Le Trong Hung lives. One week later, police began to summon him repeatedly for questioning and placed him under intrusive surveillance.
Following his arrest on March 27, the Communist Party of Vietnam’s website ran an article accusing Le Trong Hung of “using social media to publish writing or livestream the distortion and disparagement of the government.” It chides him for “commenting in a distorted way the guidelines, paths and policies of the Party and the State.” The party’s post claimed that Le Trong Hung “continuously makes speeches that defame the government, oppose the State and dismiss the leadership role of the Party.” The article dismisses as “reactionary” comments that Le Trong Hung was arrested because he ran as an independent candidate and said that the authorities arrested him because he had been violating the law for a long time.
The authorities have also harassed Le Trong Hung’s family. They summoned for questioning his wife, Do Le Na, who is blind and taking care of their two young children. Officials also pressured her to vote in May in the parliamentary election, but she declined. Strangers in civilian clothes allegedly followed his 10-year-old son as he went home from school.
Police arrested two other people who tried to run as independent candidates for parliament in 2021; Le Van Dung (also known as Le Dung Vova) in Hanoi and Tran Quoc Khanh in Ninh Binh. Both were charged under article 117 of the Penal Code. In October a Ninh Binh provincial court convicted and sentenced Tran Quoc Khanh to six and a half years in prison.
In April police in Binh Thuan province detained a poet, Nguyen Quoc Huy (known as Dong Chuong Tu), a member of the Cham ethnic minority, and interrogated him for three days about his self-nomination for the election. They confiscated his passport before releasing him.
“Vietnam’s government brutally punishes anyone who dares to challenge them, and Le Trong Hung is yet another victim of that repression,” Robertson said. “So long as the country’s leaders don’t allow free and fair elections, the Communist Party of Vietnam will do as it pleases at the population’s expense.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security, Right to political participation
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Dec 31, 2021
- Event Description
Police have detained at least eight NagaWorld union members on the evening of December 31, nearly two weeks after the casino workers’ union initiated a strike against alleged unfair dismissals and violations of the Labor Law.
Hundreds of terminated and active NagaWorld workers have been striking and protesting the termination of more than 1,300 workers, with one of the main demands being the reinstatement of around 300 workers who have refused to accept termination packages from the casino behemoth.
Phnom Penh Police chief Sar Thet confirmed Friday evening that at least eight union members were detained by the authorities, four of whom are being charged with incitement to cause chaos – an oft-used charge to target dissent in the country. The eight unioninsts include Chhim Sokhorn, who is a senior union leader.
Thet and labor group Central confirmed that union president Chhim Sithar was not one of the arrested unionists, despite her expressing concerns over imminent arrests.
“The ministry has opened negotiations for a solution, and authorities had called on them not to hold an illegal demonstration but they have not listened,” Thet said, adding that they routinely protested on public streets.
Sithar, the union’s president, said that the eight were arrested from the union’s office in Chamkarmon district.
“They surrounded [the office] quietly and arrested them at the union office. The [members] might not know because when it gets dark it gets more dangerous,” Sithar said.
“I am the one that they are mainly searching for. This is a threat to the right to expression, especially when they are leaders representing in the negotiations with NagaWorld.”
She said despite more than 10 days since negotiations began, there was no solution for the workers, but now authorities were arresting union members.
Negotiations among the Labor Ministry, NagaWorld representatives and the union have been at a standstill after the casino said last week its board would consider reinstating the laid-off staffers, according to a unionist.
Naly Pilorge, Licadho’s director, said there was no need to arrest the unionists and the casino company should work to resolve the dispute with workers.
“The authorities should release all detained union activists, who have done nothing wrong and have only peacefully advocated for their colleagues’ labor rights,” Pilorge said. “NagaWorld must work with the union to resolve the workers’ demands and comply with the Labor Law.”
Around 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, striking casino workers began holding each other’s hands as they faced down a team of an estimated 100 uniformed police officers.
Already, eight workers, including senior union leaders, had been arrested that evening from their union offices.
The protesters were now being prevented from leaving an area to the west of the casinos to go home, as authorities attempted to make further arrests.
“We are holding each other’s hands to prevent them from [more] arrests,” said Re Thearath. “They’re in pursuit of arresting people who have held the microphones.”
Around 9:30 p.m., police arrested a ninth worker, Touch Sereymeas, from in front of NagaWorld 2. Sereymeas had previously been misidentified as a Japanese agent in an anonymous Facebook page widely shared through government-aligned media channels.
About 150 workers remained near the Chuon Nath roundabout.
They were wary as reporters approached. “News media have distorted us a lot, especially Fresh News. They exaggerate and we are afraid of them distorting us,” Thearath said, referring to a news website that regularly serves as a government mouthpiece.
Some workers claimed that some plain-clothed officers had joined the protest pretending to be strikers, acting erratically and violently.
Around 11 p.m., more than 100 military police officers with riot shields and truncheons arrived on military trucks. Some of the soldiers carried assault rifles.
The workers were huddled near the entrance to the Phnom Penh Center, gradually moving south on Sothearos Blvd.
“We will still continue to demand justice in front of NagaWorld,” said a protester, Chhoun Sam An, despite the night’s turmoil. “We come here to protest because of the suffering, and we come from our heart.”
At midnight the workers dispersed. They said they had been successful in preventing the arrest of a 10th worker by banding together.
NagaCorp, to which the government has given a decadeslong monopoly license to operate in the capital, fired 1,300 workers last year amid major Covid-19 disruptions. Among the workers targeted for termination, however, were all top union leaders and representatives. Workers and labor groups have argued that this amounts to illegal union busting.
Around 300 workers are still contesting their terminations and pushing for reinstatement, and at one point last week the daily protests outside the casinos swelled to around 1,000 participants. Negotiations have largely stalled.
“How can they say we do it illegally, since we follow the law and procedures,” Sam An said of the strike. Workers had informed authorities, she said — though the Phnom Penh Municipal Court has deemed it illegal. “What about NagaWorld, which breached the law and silenced the union — [let’s see] whether any ministry takes any action.”
Phnom Penh police chief Sar Thet confirmed several of the arrests last night and accused the protesters of violating public order.
“The ministry has opened negotiations for a solution, and authorities had called on them not to hold an illegal demonstration but they have not listened,” Thet said. A municipal police spokesperson could not be reached on Saturday.
Chhim Sithar, the Naga union’s president who has spoken of her likely arrest, said by phone that she was in the dark about what was happening to her arrested colleagues.
“So far we haven’t gotten through them and we don’t know where they’ve taken them,” Sithar said.
But the workers had known to expect problems, she added. “Even though there were arrests, they will continue to protest until there is a solution.”
In a statement to shareholders last month, NagaCorp said casino operations would continue. “[T]he Board believes that the illegal strike has had no material negative impact on the overall business and operations of the Group.”
At least six NagaWorld union members were presented for questioning before the Phnom Penh Municipal Court Sunday afternoon, according to a local rights group, two days after authorities arrested 10 people in a crackdown on New Year’s Eve.
At least nine people were arrested from the Labor Rights Supporting Union office Friday evening, with the union releasing a statement over the weekend saying a tuk-tuk driver who ferried materials for the union was also arrested on Friday. A 10th individual was arrested outside NagaWorld 2.
The authorities have labeled the 14-day strike as an illegal demonstration, and hundreds of security personnel disrupted the workers’ protest on Friday night.
Am Sam Ath, Licadho’s deputy director for monitoring, said six individuals had been taken to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Sunday and then taken back to municipal police headquarters.
According to Licadho, the six unionists sent to court on Sunday were: Touch Sereymeas, Hai Sopheap, Re Sovandy, Kleang Sobin, Chhim Sokhorn and Sun Sreypich. Sam Ath said the remaining four union members were still at the police headquarters.
Phnom Penh police chief Sar Thet said on Friday that the arrested individuals were being investigated on alleged incitement charges.
The LRSU statement alleged that police had used excessive force during the arrests, surrounded the union’s office with cars, seized documents, and had now blocked the premises.
Ouk Sopheakmolyka, the partner of Touch Sereymeas, said it was disappointing that the authorities acted the way they did because the protest was against a private company and not the government. Sopheakmolyka added that some workers had congregated outside the police headquarters around 3 p.m. but did not stay longer than 60 minutes.
“The authorities are the ones who implement the law but then they abuse the law, and it is unacceptable,” said Sopheakmolyka. “This is sad because this is not a killing or robbery. They just protested about their work but the authorities’ actions against them was as if this was a serious crime and they had killed human beings.”
Sopheakmolyka added that the family was prevented from meeting Sereymeas and were told to deliver items and food when the union member was taken to court.
The LRSU union called for a strike on December 18 months after NagaWorld fired around 1,300 workers amid falling profits during the pandemic. Around 300 workers say they want to be reinstated, including top union leaders who were controversially part of the layoffs.
Chhim Sithar, LRSU’s president and one of the fired workers, said the arrests were aimed at disrupting the strike, but the protest would stop only when there was a fair solution.
“The workers’ nine points have not been solved yet and instead they arrested the [union] representatives, and the protest will not stop unless there is reasonable and acceptable compensation,” she said.
Reporters did not see any protesters outside NagaWorld over the weekend following Friday’s crackdown.
Municipal police spokesperson San Sokseyha has not responded to questions.
- Impact of Event
- 10
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Freedom of movement, Labour rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Dec 31, 2021
- Event Description
Jaringan Peduli Perempuan Bengkulu (JPPB) menyoroti pembubaran paksa terhadap kaum perempuan yang menggelar aksi penolakan tambang pasir besi PT Faming Levto Bakti Abadi di Desa Pasar Seluma, selama empat malam lima hari.
JPPB juga menyayangkan tindak aparat saat membubarkan massa.
“Ini tak elok ketika rakyat bersuara, perempuan bersuara dibubarkan paksa. Bukannya ini bagian dari demokrasi yang dilindungi UU, ruang dialog harus diciptakan untuk mendengar mereka,” kata Koordinator JPPB, Fonika Toyib.
Selain itu, yang menjadi sorotan sikap pemerintah daerah dalam menyikapi polemik penolakan tambang pasir besi di Pasar Seluma.
“Kami mendesak hentikan penyelesaian secara represif,” tegasnya.
Sementara itu, Aliansi Badan Eksekutif Mahasiswa (BEM) Nusantara Bengkulu mendukung para masyarakat Desa Pasar Seluma menolak tambang pasir besi.
Koordinator Daerah Aliansi BEM Nusantara Bengkulu Muhammad Fhariz Alatas mengatakan, mereka akan mengawal apapun perkembangan terkait dengan polemik tambang pasir besi yang menimbulkan konflik sosial di masyarakat.
“Kami akan mengawal terkait konflik ini. Dan poin utama tuntutan warga yaitu menghentikan aktivitas pertambangan pasir besi di Seluma, khususnya di Desa Pasar Seluma,” kata Fhariz usai melakukan konsolidasi dengan sejumlah perwakilan masyarakat.
Menurutnya, BEM Nusantara Bengkulu mengunjungi masyarakat untuk memastikan kejadian yang sebelumnya terjadi.
Yaitu, pembubaran paksa ibu-ibu penolak tambang oleh aparat kepolisian.
“Kita datang ke sini, karena kawan-kawan BEM secara pribadi memiliki rasa simpati dan empati terhadap masyarakat di Pasar Seluma ini,” jelasnya. Mahasiswa Bergerak
BEM Nusantara ini merupakan gabungan BEM di Provinsi Bengkulu.
Diantaranya gabungan mahasiswa dari kampus UMB, STIA, UIN FAS, Dehasen dan kampus lainnya di Provinsi Bengkulu. “Kawan-kawan yang belum hadir juga memberikan dukungan ke sini. Termasuk ada dari Curup dan Lebong,” sampainya.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 29, 2021
- Event Description
The special court inside Insein Prison handed down sentences against two prominent student leaders on Thursday.
Aye Aung, a 45-year-old former member of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), received three years in prison for his role in anti-coup protests in Yangon’s Tamwe Township in March.
“The court decided that it was apparent that he led the protests,” his lawyer said.
Aye Aung, who took part in a student-led uprising against military rule in 1996, was previously sentenced to 59 years in prison by Myanmar’s former military junta. He spent 14 years behind bars until his release in 2012.
Fellow former ABFSU executive Min Thway Thit, meanwhile, was given a year in prison for driving an unregistered vehicle without a license.
The sentence handed down to the 38-year-old former political prisoner was the minimum for the charge, which is punishable by up to three years in prison, because the offense was related to his volunteer work with Covid-19 patients.
“There wasn’t enough evidence that Min Thway Thit owned or drove the car, but it was apparent that he was using it to transport patients during the pandemic,” his lawyer said.
A day earlier, another ABFSU activist got two years and one month in prison on charges stemming from his political activities in September of last year.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe was charged with violating Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law for handing out and posting leaflets in Yangon’s Mahabandoola Park calling for the restoration of internet services in Rakhine State.
The sentence was handed down by a court in Kyauktada Township. The 23-year-old ABFSU president faces similar charges in two other townships in Yangon, as well as charges of incitement under Sections 505a and 505b of the Penal Code.
According to local media reports, at least 62 junta opponents, including politicians, activists, artists and other public figures, were sentenced on Thursday.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an advocacy group based in exile, the regime is currently holding 8,331 people on charges related to their anti-coup activities, of whom only 487 have so far been convicted.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Dec 28, 2021
- Event Description
Three activists, one a 17 year old, were arrested on Tuesday night (28 December) for holding up banners with the message “abolish Section 112” at Wongwian Yai, where a crowd of people were waiting to see King Vajiralongkorn and his entourage.
A video clip of the incident shows the activists being surrounded by men wearing royal volunteer service yellow shirts and scarves. The men dragged them away, injuring them in the process.
Five activists were detained during the incident. Three - Sainam, Baipor, and Tawan (last names withheld) - were taken to the nearby Bupharam Police Station. Another two unidentified individuals were released.
A second video clip of the event shows a woman running up to the King’s vehicle as he was getting out of the car. She was immediately held back by guards.
According to Pol Lt Col Seksan Pa-taesang from Buphharam Police Station, the woman was sent to the Somdej Chao Phraya Institute of Psychiatry. When our reporter asked what charges are being filed against the three activists, he immediately hung up.
Tawan, 20, said that they arrived at Wongwian Yai around 16.00 and were planning to raise their banners when the royal motorcade reached the scene to communicate directly with the King. Although concerned that they might be attacked by royalists, she said that they still wanted to exercise their right to express their opinions.
Baipor said that they planned to stand on the footpath but while waiting, were approached by a plainclothes officer who appeared to recognise Sainam. According to Baipor, they told the officer that they were only holding banners and did not intend to cause harm. Unidentified men in yellow shirts then surrounded them. In footage of the incident, formally clad police officers receiving the royal motorcade took part in the arrest.
Tawan added that the men in yellow shirt surrounded them for around an hour. Once the Queen appeared, they lifted up their banner, but the men immediately pulled it down. She said that they were not planning to make noise, but when the men snatched their banners away, they began shouting “abolish Section 112.” They had earlier decided to do this if they were assaulted. The men dragged them away, putting their hands over the activists’ mouth and choking them in the process.
Tawan said that instead of being brought to a police station, they were taken into a nearby alley and made to wait there until the royal motorcade left. Angered by the treatment, the activists demanded to know what crime they were being charged with. Instead of answering, the officers ordered them to sit down and pushed them to the ground. Around 20.00, they were taken to the Buppharam Police Station.
According to Tawan, when the men sought to physically silence her by placing their hands over her mouth, they knocked her contact lenses out of position, pushing them deep inside her eyelids. She was later able to remove them but Sainam and Baipor both suffered injuries. Baipor was cut on the lips.
Asked about the woman who ran towards the King’s vehicle, Tawan said that she was not part of their group and that they never approached the royal entourage.
The activists were released a little after midnight. They were charged with causing a public commotion and failing to comply with police orders. Each received a 1000-baht fine. Following their release, they said that they were going to a hospital to make a record of their injuries and would by pressing charges against their assailants.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reports that police released the other two activists as they were only taking pictures of the protest, not shouting or holding up banners.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 26, 2021
- Event Description
A student activist has died in Myanmar military custody, and the junta cremated his body without informing his relatives.
Ko Aung Bone Kyaw, a third year geology student at Yangon University, was detained on Sunday in Yangon’s Tamwe Township. He was taken to an interrogation center where he died the following day, according to the Yangon University Students Union. He was cremated at Yayway Cemetery the same day
“The military council didn’t inform [his family about the funeral]. His family found out from their contacts only just before the funeral. They rushed to Yayway, but were unable to see the body before it was cremated,” said Ko Aung Kaung Hset, the chair of the Yangon University Students Union.
Ko Aung Bone Kyaw’s family declined to comment out of concerns for their safety when contacted by The Irrawaddy.
“We heard that three other students were arrested along with Ko Aung Bone Kyaw. One of his classmates is now at the interrogation center,” said Ko Aung Kaung Hset.
It remains unclear why the students were arrested and how Ko Aung Bone Kyaw died.
Yangon Unversity’s Geology Department issued a letter of condolence over Ko Aung Bone Kyaw’s death, in which lecturers and students vowed to fight the dictatorship until the end.
His death in custody follows the jailing a few days ago of an executive member of the Yangon University Students Union. Ko Aung Phone Maw was sentenced to three years in prison by a junta court for incitement.
“The military regime is harshly persecuting young political activists who oppose military rule. Student union members held in Insein Prison are subject to solitary confinement and torture. Those who were beaten for their participation in protests were denied medical treatment,” said Yangon University Students Union chair Ko Aung Kaung Hset.
Political prisoners in Yangon’s Insein Prison joined the rest of the country in a silent strike on December 10 to mark International Human Rights Day. The Myanmar people stayed at home for the day to show their opposition to military rule.
Around 89 political prisoners and detainees, including members of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, were beaten and held in isolation for participating in the silent strike. Those injured have yet to receive medical treatment.
On December 19, freelance photojournalist Ko Zaw Lin Htut, and Ma Su Yee Lin from Yangon Eastern University Students Union were detained at a Yangon protest. Their whereabouts are still unknown.
1,380 people were killed by the junta between February 1 and December 28, according to rights group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 25, 2021
- Event Description
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the international community to toughen its sanctions on Myanmar’s military junta after a journalist who was covering the plight of refugees in the southeastern state of Kayin was killed during an army artillery attack near the border with Thailand on 25 December.
Federal News Journal editor Sai Win Aung, also known as A Sai K, was the second journalist to die as a result the junta’s violence in less than two weeks.
He was killed instantly by a gunshot in Lay Kay Kaw Myothit, a town in Myawaddy district, during an artillery attack by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s armed forces, against members of the People’s Defence Force (PDF), which has been offering armed resistance to the junta.
“Sai Wing Aung paid with his life for his determination to provide his fellow citizens with coverage of the terror that the armed forces have been inflicting on Myanmar’s population since last February’s military coup,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “He died a hero and his fight must not be in vain. We urge the international community to impose new targeted sanctions on members of the ruling junta in order to end the current escalation in terror.”
World’s second biggest jailer of journalists
Freelance photographer Soe Naing was the first journalist to die at the junta’s hands. Held since 10 December and badly injured during interrogation, he died of his injuries on 14 December, as RSF reported the same day. Soldiers had arrested him while he was covering a silent street protest in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city.
In its annual round-up of abusive treatment and violence against journalists published last week, RSF reported that a record number of journalists are being detained worldwide at the end of 2021 and that Myanmar has become the world’s second biggest jailer of journalists, after China.
Two journalists were being detained in Myanmar in connection with their work at the end of 2020, but Myanmar’s prisons are now holding at least 57, according to RSF’s press freedom violations barometer, which is constantly updated.
Myanmar is ranked 140th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index that RSF published in early 2021.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 22, 2021
- Event Description
A 22-year-old member of the central executive committee of the Yangon University Students Union was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour on Wednesday, nine months after his arrest at an anti-junta protest.
Aung Phone Maw was charged with incitement for allegedly violating Section 505a and given the maximum sentence by a Hlaing Tharyar township judge at a court hearing inside Yangon’s Insein Prison.
He was arrested during a demonstration organised by the General Strike Committee in Kyauk Myaung ward in Tamwe Township on March 3.
Despite a lack of evidence, the military council accused Aung Phone Maw of leading two other individuals to incite unrest in Hlaing Tharyar and of supporting the Civil Disobedience Movement, his mother told Myanmar Now.
“They could not provide any evidence for any of the things he was accused of,” Aung Phone Maw’s mother explained. “His lawyer did his best during his court hearing. Aung Phone Maw, however, confessed that he took part in around three protests. That’s all.”
The student activist refused to submit any evidence to the court in his defence, noting that he had no trust in the judiciary under the junta, but he allowed his mother to testify on his behalf.
“We at least hoped that the judiciary system would still be just. We did not expect much but it was our last glimmer of hope. It’s really sad that he got sentenced to prison without any evidence,” his mother said.
Aung Phone Maw was a fourth-year mathematics student at Yangon University. He joined the student union in 2018 and became a member of the central executive committee the following year.
He was active in defending students’ rights, ethnic rights and condemning the genocide of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. He wrote regular commentary on the anti-dictatorship movement and other political issues and became an editor at the Oway Journal in 2019.
“We still remember what he said during the protests in February. He used to talk about how we should never try to reconcile with the military, never hope for a supreme saviour, and to build a brave new world on our own,” Aung Kaung Set, also a member of the Yangon University Student Union, told Myanmar Now.
Aung Kaung Set added that Aung Phone Maw led a protest when lawyer William Schabas, who represented Myanmar’s delegation when the state was accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, spoke at Yangon University in March 2020.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, as of this week more than 10,000 civilians have been arrested by the junta since Myanmar’s February 1 coup, and 1,400 killed.
The military council has declared the AAPP an illegal organisation.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Dec 21, 2021
- Event Description
20 protesters and activists have been charged with violation of the Emergency Decree for participating in the 28 November 2021 rally at the Ratchaprasong intersection to call for marriage equality.
In addition to the Emergency Decree charge, they were also charged with obstructing traffic under Section 385 of the Criminal Code.
12 of those charged reported to the police at Lumpini Police Station on Tuesday (21 December). Before going to hear their charges, the activists read out a statement by the Rainbow Coalition for Marriage Equality saying that the rally was an exercise of their legal rights and freedoms, and that the charges against them amount to a strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP.
The statement said that the activists are reporting to the police and are willing to fight the charges to show that they are free to think and are protected by the civil rights enshrined in the Constitution. They are also considering filing complaints against the officers who file charges against them.
Move Forward party (MFP) MP Nateepat Kulsetthasith gave a speech at the rally and is among those summoned to hear their charges. However, under Section 125 of the Constitution, MPs and senators cannot be arrested, detained, or summoned by the police on a criminal charge while parliament is in session unless permission has been granted by the House Speaker.
Nateepat said that he is referring the issue to the relevant standing committees in parliament for an investigation and to summon responsible officers to explain why they issued the summons without regard to the law, commenting that he does not know if the summons was issued because the officers were careless or unaware of the law, or whether it was intentional.
Nada Chaiyajit, LGBTQ rights activist, Manushya Foundation’s campaign advisor and a member of the Thai Sang Thai party’s working group on LGBTQ rights, is also among those charged. Nada said that the rally was an exercise of their constitutional rights, and the organisers asked police officers from Lumpini Police Station to help facilitate the rally, but instead they filed charges against the organizers, speakers, and even participants, which she sees as a violation of the people’s rights and freedoms.
Meanwhile, Chanan Yodhong, who is currently responsible for Pheu Thai party’s LGBTQ rights policy and is charged for giving a speech at the protest, said that the charges against them are an attempt by the state to limit the movement for human rights, and that it is clear that the state not only denies that every citizen is equal regardless of their identity but also sees that demanding marriage equality is a danger to national security.
Chanan said that such an attitude is dangerous for the state itself, because it erodes the state’s honour and is dangerous to the people, since the state sees the people as an enemy instead of those who hold power in the country and tries to silence them.
“Actually in the world, the pandemic is the new threat to national security that states have to be aware of, but the Thai state instead is using the pandemic as a tool to build security. You can see it from how they use the pandemic to obstruct popular political activities, including movement about identity and diversity,” Chanan said. “The state is stuck in old ideas about security, which see diversity, freedom, and rights as threats that needs to be suppressed. I want to support the organisers and every activist who is still fighting for what is right in a state like this.”
The rally was organized by the Rainbow Coalition for Marriage Equality, a network of around 40 civil society organizations and activist groups, during which a petition proposing amendments to the Civil Commercial Code to allow marriage between LGBTQ couples was launched.
The petition proposes to amend Article 1448 of the Civil Commercial Code, which governs marriage, so that marriage registration is allowed between two people of any gender, instead of only between a man and a woman. It also proposed to raise the age at which people can legally marry from 17 to 18 years old.
The petition also proposes to replace the terms “man” and “woman” in every article of the Civil and Commercial Code relating to marriage with “person,” as well as to replace “husband” and “wife” with “spouse” and “father” and “mother” with “parents.”
The amendments will grant LGBTQ couples the same rights, duties, and legal recognition as heterosexual couples, including the right to adopt a child together and be recognized as the child’s parents, the right to have the power of attorney to make medical decisions of behalf of one’s partner and to press charges on behalf of one’s partner, the right to use one’s partner’s last name, and the right to inherit property from each other without the need for a will.
The petition, which gained over 100,000 overnight, now has over 270,000 signatures.
Currently, two bills on marriage for LGBTQ couples are already waiting to go before parliament, one of which is a bill proposing amendments to the sections on marriage and family in the Civil and Commercial Code proposed by MFP MP Tunyawat Kamolwongwat. Nateepat said that they are aiming for the bill to go before parliament before the end of the session early next year, but it will depend on every MP whether they are able to follow the agenda, but if the bill does not go before parliament before the end of this session, he is sure it will in the next session.
Nateepat said that it is possible for the bill to pass its first reading, as there are other parties who agree with it, such as the Pheu Thai party, and if the government parties allow their MPs to vote freely, the bill is likely to gain enough votes.
Meanwhile, Nada said that she thinks it is unlikely that the government parties will allow a free vote for their MPs, since they have never allowed a free vote on a bill proposed by the opposition.
Nada also said that the Constitutional Court’s 17 November 2021 ruling that the current Thai marriage law, which states that marriage can only be contracted between a man and a woman, does not violate the Constitution is likely to push parliament in the direction of drafting a Civil Partnership bill to legalise LGBTQ marriage.
Nada believes that it will be more likely for a bill amending the Civil and Commercial Code to pass if the current opposition parties become the government in the next election, since each party, especially those in the opposition, has already seen that they will be judged by the people if they do not do what they propose to do during their election campaign.
- Impact of Event
- 20
- Gender of HRD
- LGBTQ+/ Non-Binary, Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, SOGI rights
- HRD
- SOGI rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 20, 2021
- Event Description
Family members of a teacher from Naypyitaw’s Lewe Township who was arrested on Monday were notified the following day that he had died in junta custody, they told Myanmar Now.
Hla Min Maung, 36, was arrested at a tea shop in Lewe for participating in the general strike in accordance with the Civil Disobedience Movement.
His father, Khin Maung Dwe, said that the township’s police chief had summoned the family at around noon on Tuesday and told them that Hla Min Maung had died due to underlying health issues.
“It breaks our hearts that an educated and civilised young man like him was killed overnight,” Khin Maung We told Myanmar Now on Wednesday.
“It would be different for us if he was put on trial and got convicted. He didn’t even get questioned, or a chance to defend himself. It is heartbreaking that he was killed, just like that, so quickly,” the father said.
A close friend of the victim’s family said that only three relatives were permitted to see Hla Min Maung’s body, and were only allowed to glimpse his face, which was reportedly bruised. They were not allowed to take any photographs.
The family was allowed to have a funeral in accordance with Islamic traditions at the Kwegyi cemetery on Tuesday evening, but attendance was restricted by the military.
Hla Min Maung had been a middle school teacher for eight years, specialising in Myanmar language and history. He had been working at a school in Matawtpin village.
His father, Khin Maung Dwe, is also a respected retired high school English teacher.
Kyaw Myint Oo, an elected Upper House parliamentarian for Mandalay’s Constituency No. 11, is also a former teacher who taught Hla Min Maung chemistry and physics when he was in high school.
“He was such a quiet person and he came from a very educated family. [Junta soldiers] could have just done it in a civilised manner if they wanted to interrogate him,” Kyaw Myint Oo said. “They no longer value human life, not even as much as that of a chicken.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Hla Min Maung’s family still had not been told further details surrounding his cause of death.
Myanmar Now called the Lewe police station three times regarding Hla Min Maung’s death but all calls went unanswered.
Deaths during interrogations have become more frequent as the military council continues to accuse people of being affiliated with anti-junta groups and networks.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners released a statement on Thursday reporting that at least 1,362 civilians had died at the hands of the military council since the February 1 coup.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life, Right to political participation
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 20, 2021
- Event Description
A man who left his job as a teacher to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) was detained by soldiers in Sagaing Region last week and killed in their custody within days, his wife has said.
Hlaing Win, 40, was taken from Sabei Nanthar village on December 3 and later sent to an interrogation center at the compound of the junta’s Tank Battalion No. 6006 in Kanbalu Township.
Then on Wednesday his wife, Kaythi Oo, was told he had “died due to asphyxia” after she tried to contact his captors through the village administrator.
As well as his wife, he leaves behind a 7-year-old son and two daughters aged 10 and 15. His family said he was in good health when he was taken.
“My whole family was devastated to hear this news. He was the family’s only breadwinner. We don’t have anyone to depend on anymore,” Kaythi Oo said.
Hlaing Win worked as a teacher at a middle school in Baw village, Kanbalu for 15 years. After the February 1 coup, he joined tens of thousands government employees across the country who refused to work under the junta and left his job to work on a betel nut farm.
Upon learning about his death, Kaythi Oo tried to retrieve his body but was told he had already been cremated at the Kanbalu cemetery on Tuesday, the day the military says he died.
“I just wanted to see his body one last time so that I could have some closure,” she said. “I don’t even know how to cope with this now.”
An officer from the CDM group representing educators in Kanbalu said he believed the teacher was tortured to death like scores of others since the coup.
“There is no way we will ever accept this,” he said. “We are opposing them in a peaceful manner and they’re just blatantly killing us. Even after the revolution, we are going to need to take legal actions against them.”
A friend of Hlaing Win’s, who is also a teacher, said his death was a great loss for both his students and the country. “It’s so disgusting that they’re bullying us just because they have weapons. The death of such a good teacher made me feel as if I had lost everything,” he said.
“What I’ve learnt for sure is that we cannot afford to let the military council win in any way. We have to win. We can’t stop until we win,” he added.
Teachers are among those who have borne the brunt of a military terror camaign aimed at crushing opposition to its rule. On November 17, a teacher from Myintha village in Mandalay Region was killed at an interrogation center just hours after his arrest.
Another teacher from Ywarbo village in Mandalay was killed within 24 hours of his arrest on November 1, and his family never got his body back.
A junta spokesperson could not be reached for comment on Win Hlaing’s death.
At least 1,323 civilians have been killed by the junta since February, the latest tally from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners shows.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life, Right to political participation
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 19, 2021
- Event Description
No journalist should be threatened for doing their job, said the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines.
This after the reported threats against Adrian Puse, a journalist and safety officer of Altermidya.
In a statement, Altermidya said Puse received multiple death threats on Sunday, Dec. 19 from a Facebook user named “Bob Dinelli.”
Among the threats that Puse received were “uunti-untiin kita”, “alam ko bahay mo at pinagtatrabahuhan mo” (I know where you work and live), and “huling pasko (mo) na ito” (this is your last Christmas).
The sender also named Puse’s sister, her address, and his girlfriend’s name and email address.
“Days before, Adrian’s girlfriend received a message asking her to ‘cooperate’ with the sender in settling a certain ‘injustice’ that Adrian had supposedly done. The sender also mentioned specific details of Adrian’s whereabouts, which are all obviously fabricated and could easily be disproved,” the group said in a statement.
Puse has been with Altermidya for two years.
Facebook has since taken down what appears to be a newly-created “Bob Dinelli” account.
“We condemn the continuing attempts to silence media practitioners with threats, harassment, cyberattacks, and intimidation. Independent journalists will not be coerced against these attacks against media freedom, especially now when our responsibility of truth-telling is more urgent than ever,” Altermidya said.
They added that these acts, “clearly meant to intimidate Adrian in his task as a journalist, are a serious concern amid unrelenting attacks against independent media, rights defenders, and the administration’s perceived critics.”
The threats against Puse happened just after the news of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against Rappler, Vera Files as well network giant ABS-CBN’s news website.
The NUJP meanwhile said that they stand with Altermidya in condemning the harassment against Puse.
“No journalist should be threatened for doing their jobs in delivering news and information to communities. We reiterate our call to defend press freedom and stop the attacks against the Filipino press,” the group said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 19, 2021
- Event Description
Four lawyers from Mandalay who had been working on the defence teams for politically motivated cases put forward by the junta have been held in an unidentified location for days since their December 19 arrest by the military authorities, according to members of their legal networks.
The families of the attorneys have not been able to confirm their whereabouts since they were taken into junta custody.
They were abducted from the office of Shwe Alin Legal Services near the No. 3 police station in Chanmyathazi Township, according to a Mandalay-based lawyer who spoke to Myanmar Now on the condition of anonymity.
“They haven't been transferred to Obo prison yet,” the lawyer said, referring to a major prison in the region. “We were told that they were still at the interrogation centre. No case has been filed against them either.”
Legal sources did not want to name three of the detained lawyers, but confirmed that one is Lwin Lwin Mar, who had been helping individuals charged with incitement since the February 1 coup. All four of the lawyers are women.
“I think they’re trying to make an example out of them so that no one would dare to take on political cases,” another lawyer based in Mandalay said.
Myanmar Now has been unable to contact junta officers at the No. 3 police station in Chanmyathazi for comment regarding the arrests.
The military has been detaining its political opponents across the country, with many killed in military custody.
Earlier this month in Mandalay, Thae Htwe Maung, a party member of the National League for Democracy from Pyigyidagun Township, and his wife were taken by the military to an interrogation centre. Within days, their families were told that they had died and their bodies were not returned for burial.
According to a Wednesday statement released by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), more than 10,000 people have been arrested and nearly 1,400 people killed by the junta in the 10 months since the coup.
The military has denounced the AAPP as an illegal organisation and dismissed its figures as exaggerated.
The AAPP maintains that its regularly updated numbers are based on available data and that the actual totals of those arrested or murdered by the coup regime may be much higher.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to work
- HRD
- Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 19, 2021
- Event Description
Two student activists were arrested in Yangon on Sunday morning while they were on their way to a protest in Thingangyun Township, according to fellow activists.
The two were identified as Zaw Lin Htut, a former member of the University Students’ Union Alumni Force (USUAF), and Su Yee Lin, the chair of the Eastern Yangon University Students Union.
“They were arrested on their way to a protest. We haven’t had any contact with them since,” said USUAF member Nan Lin.
The arresting officers were reportedly plainclothes military personnel, but no further details of the arrest were available at the time of reporting.
According to Nan Lin, Zaw Lin Htut is also a freelance reporter and a member of Peacock Generation (Daung Doh Myo Sat), a group that performs thangyat, a traditional form of political satire popular in Myanmar.
In 2018, he was sentenced to two years in prison for taking part in a performance deemed insulting to the military. He was released in June 2020.
“He used to be involved in politics. These days, he is writing news. Knowing that the military is targeting journalists, we’re very worried for the lives of both Phoe Thar and Su Yee Lin,” said Nang Lin, referring to Zaw Lin Htut by his nickname.
The families of the two detainees have received no information about where they are being held, he added.
Despite violent crackdowns, “flash mob” protests against the regime that seized power in February continue in Yangon and other cities around the country.
Earlier this month, junta troops rammed a vehicle into a crowd of protesters in Yangon’s Kyimyindaing Township before firing several shots and making multiple arrests.
As many as five people are believed to have been killed in that incident, although the junta has denied that there were any casualties, despite evidence to the contrary.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Dec 18, 2021
- Event Description
Participants in a 10-hour strike in front of NagaWorld casino dispersed by 5 p.m. on Saturday after authorities barricaded strikers inside the park, though union members vowed to return on Sunday.
Workers started filing out of the park opposite NagaWorld 1, shortly after flatbed trucks with armed security personnel arrived, as seen in a livestream of the strike by labor rights group Central. Local officials continued to speak to union workers and attempted to convince them to leave the spot.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court decision from judge Ros Piseth, which was signed on Thursday but publicized during the strike Saturday morning, determined the strike illegal and threatened active NagaWorld employees on strike with “serious misconduct.” The text was read to strike participants over a sound system earlier in the day, but only resulted in cheers from the striking workers.
The company claimed in the decision that the union’s nine demands are still under deliberation in court and “have never been raised to resolve peacefully,” while also raising concerns about impacts to business and social instability.
According to an unofficial translation by Central, Piseth said that strikes are legal when a party in a labor dispute rejects the decision by the Arbitration Council, but he said the union raised new demands in its decision to strike that were not included in the dispute negotiations. Piseth continued that the union did not sufficiently meet with NagaWorld to prepare for the impact of the strike on its business.
Phnom Penh governor Khoung Sreng released a letter this afternoon once again calling for the strike to cease, this time as a violation of Covid-19 protocol as well as a violation of the law on peaceful demonstrations.
The letter, addressed to seven named union organizers, said that the striking workers failed to give written notice of their plans to demonstrate to provincial and municipal authorities. The Nagaworld union released a letter announcing the strike on November 24.
Authorities began placing barricades around Naga 1, the park in front of the building, and surrounding streets after reading the governor’s letter to strike participants around 2:30 p.m. Guards prevented anyone from entering and leaving, as well as approaching from Preah Sihanouk Blvd at the statue of the revered monk and Khmer dictionary author Chuon Nath.
A union member who requested anonymity confirmed that the strike would proceed tomorrow from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., without commenting on whether they had security concerns.
The same union member told VOD that authorities attempted to arrest union president Chhim Sithar in front of the union’s office early Saturday afternoon.
According to the member, a Tonle Bassac resident, who also happened to be a husband of a union member, was asked by village chief Uch Sam Oeun to monitor Sithar. The resident immediately reported the chief’s comment to Sithar, who left the office. The union member who spoke to VOD stayed to observe the office after Sithar left, and authorities showed up on four motorbikes about 10 minutes after she vacated the office. Sam Oeun showed up shortly after, the union member said, asking about the man he ordered to watch Sithar.
Sithar, who was fired earlier this year in a layoff of more than 1,300 workers, sent a note late Friday night warning that the strike would proceed, even as Phnom Penh City Hall authorities urged the workers to delay their strike.
According to Sithar, the union met with Phnom Penh officials Friday morning, but Nagaworld officials weren’t present. Authorities offered to broker a meeting between the union and the company on December 21 and 27, but authorities would instead speak for the union without allowing workers to talk.
The union held an emergency meeting on Friday evening on whether to accept the city’s proposal and refused, she said.
Among the union’s demands, which were released with a strike notice late last month, they urge Nagaworld to rehire the more than 300 workers who haven’t accepted termination compensation, as well as a recalculation of their layoff pay and benefits to match the standards set in the Labor Law.
The union also asked the company for justice on layoffs and other labor disputes, dating back to a mass layoff of union workers in 2009.
8:25 a.m.
Casino workers’ protests resumed before 7 a.m. Sunday, as authorities put up roadblocks on several locations along Sihanouk Blvd.
The street in front of NagaWorld 1 was completely blocked off, as around 100 workers gathered across the street near NagaWorld 2 and the National Election Committee headquarters, surrounded by dozens of officers and security in suits.
As workers continued to arrive, authorities prevented them from entering from the west past Sothearos Blvd. By around 7.45 a.m. around 100 further workers had gathered on the corner of Phnom Penh Center and began holding up signs and chanting slogans.
Hundreds of workers organized a strike outside the casino’s premises in Phnom Penh, demanding that NagaCorp rehire the more than 300 workers who haven’t accepted termination compensation, and to recalculate their layoff pay and benefits to match the standards set in the Labor Law.
A Phnom Penh court ruled the strike illegal on Thursday, a decision that was made public on Saturday. Local officials also deemed the congregation a violation of Covid-19 protocols and ordered the striking workers leave the park opposite NagaWorld 1. Workers left around 5 p.m. Saturday and said they would return on Sunday.
8:50 a.m.
Around 50 workers are close to NagaWorld 2 at the Chuon Nath roundabout and are now blocked by local authorities and private security guards. To the west on Sothearos Boulevard, more than a 100 workers are continuing their protest outside the Phnom Penh Center and their numbers are growing.
10:10 a.m.
The first major series of rallies since Covid-19 lockdowns continued with high spirits. Most wore red NagaWorld uniforms and white caps that they waved with loud cheers to passing traffic. Through a relatively chilly, overcast morning, workers sat on the grass on the corner of Sothearos and Sihanouk and regularly broke out into chants. Some had “strike” written across their cotton masks.
Inside a corner coffee shop, workers formed a long line for the toilets while others ate noodles and breakfast.
Fired casino worker Ment Kanika said the workers were not happy to be pushed away from protesting in front of NagaWorld.
“We want to be in front of the company to do the strike,” Kanika said. “They don’t want us to be in front of Naga.”
She said the rally would continue all day again until 5 p.m., when they would go home, and prepare to return again tomorrow.
“We’ll continue until we have a solution. We need the union,” she said. “We need stability in our jobs.”
As Kanika spoke, organizers reiterated the workers’ demands over magaphones.
She said it had been a long time since she had seen many of her colleagues, though some had kept in touch online.
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court has declared the strike illegal, but Kanika said this would not stop her.
“I’m not worried at all because we know what we do and we volunteer to do it. We do it from the heart.”
12:45 p.m.
The NagaWorld union president Chhim Sithar said striking workers were bracing for potential arrests after the municipal court banned the strike on Thursday.
Sithar told VOD on Sunday that employed workers could face disciplinary action from the company starting Monday, while those who don’t work for the casino could face criminal charges. She said she was “sure” there would be arrests.
“We already knew in advance and ready to stand up to fight against this unfair court order,” she said.
She estimated that 1,500 total active and laid off workers were participating in the demonstration. As of noon Sunday, there appeared to be around 300-400 workers at the strike.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Labour rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Labour rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Dec 17, 2021
- Event Description
A protester has been sentenced to 2 months in prison on a contempt of court charge for cutting his arm in court to protest the denial of bail for detained activists.
Joseph (pseudonym) cut his arm in front of the judge as an act of protest during an evidence hearing on 11 October 2021 to protest the denial of bail for activists Anon Nampa and Benja Apan, both of whom are detained pending trial on royal defamation charges.
Joseph is one of the 13 protesters facing royal defamation and sedition charges under Section 112 and 116 of the Thai Criminal Code, as well as using a sound amplifier without permission under the Controlling Public Advertisement by Sound Amplifier Act for either reading a statement or giving speeches during the protest in front of the German Embassy in Bangkok on 26 October 2020, in which they submitted a petition calling for the German authorities to investigate King Vajiralongkorn’s use of power during his time in Germany. Joseph is facing charges for reading out a statement in English.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Joseph was charged with contempt of court for his action, and that the South Bangkok Criminal Court on Friday (17 December) sentenced him to 2 months in prison. He also received a 500-baht fine.
However, since he confessed and said to the court that his action was symbolic and that he has no intention of hurting anyone, the court reduced his sentence to 1 month in prison and a 250-baht fine. His sentence is also suspended for 6 months.
Several activists have previously been charged with contempt of court for demanding the right to bail for detained activists. TLHR said that 26 people have been charged with contempt of court in 16 cases since July 2020. Of these cases, 14 resulted from protests demanding the right to bail for detained activists.
On 22 November, activists Parit Chiwarak, Panupong Jadnok, Sam Samat, Thanapat Kapeng, Panadda Sirimaskul, Thatchapong or Chatchai Kaedam, Phromsorn Weerathamjaree, Sirichai Natueng and Nutchanon Pairoj were found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to 10 days in jail by the Thanyaburi Provincial Court.
They were charged on 9 August for their role in a protest on 2 August 2021 to demand the release of 32 detained activists.
Parit, Panupong, and Sam are already being detained pending trial for other charges, while the remaining 6 individuals were released on 10,000-baht bail.
On 2 December 2021, Nutchanon was sentenced to 2 months in prison on another contempt of court change relating to a protest in front of the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court on 30 April 2021 to demand the release of detained student activist Parit Chiwarak. He was released on 50,000-baht bail.
Nutchanon and Benja were previously sentenced to prison on another contempt of court charge stemming from a protest at the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court on 29 April 2021 to demand the release of detained activists. Benja was sentenced to 6 months in prison – the highest possible sentence for the charge – while Nutchanon was sentenced to 4 months, but was released on bail using a 50,000-baht security.
Other than Benja and Nutchanon, 4 other activists are facing contempt of court charges for participating in the 29 April 2021 protest: Pattarapong Noipang, Shinnawat Chankrajang, Elia Fofi, and Pisitkul Kuantalaeng.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Dec 16, 2021
- Event Description
A court in Vietnam on Thursday handed down a 10-year prison term to a rights activist accused of criticizing the government on social media in the third trial held this week of political dissidents in the one-party communist state.
Do Nam Trung was convicted in a trial lasting just under four hours in the People’s Court of Nam Dinh City in northern Vietnam. He had been charged with “spreading materials against the State” under Article 117 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.
Arrested on July 16 by a large group of police officers who broke into the house he shared with his girlfriend, Trung had taken part in several social movements and had spoken out against official corruption on his Facebook page.
He had also posted criticisms of the build-operate-transfer highways that Vietnam has adopted in recent years, sparking rare protests over toll collections described by many motorists as unfair.
Trung’s girlfriend told RFA that she was shocked by the sentence handed down by the court.
“It’s too unfair, damn it! It’s too harsh, and they are so cruel. Ten years in prison and four years on probation — I really didn’t think it could be that heavy,” she said.
Defense lawyer Dan Dinh Manh, writing on his own Facebook page on Thursday, said that Trung had rejected prosecutors’ arguments that he had committed any crimes. He had also refused to comment on the writings that prosecutors used to build their case against him, Manh said.
“Like almost all other verdicts handed down based on Article 117, today’s sentence is unjustifiable and unsatisfactory,” Manh said.
“In accordance with international practice, if criticisms directed against government policies, agencies, organizations or leaders are unsupported by the facts, the victims can always file a civil case and claim compensation.”
“That should be sufficient,” he said, adding that Trung now plans to appeal the court’s verdict against him.
Vietnam’s laws see criticisms as criminal offenses, Manh said.
“I would like to see Article 117 removed so that cases like this can be tried in the future as civil violations, as this would comply with international trends,” he said.
In a statement the day before Trung’s trial, New York-based Human Rights Watch slammed the government’s legal proceedings against him.
“Do Nam Trung is the latest victim of Vietnamese government retaliation against citizens who refuse to remain silent in the face of injustice and rights abuses,” the group said.
Others also convicted
Trung’s sentencing this week followed the trial on Wednesday of two land rights activists who were jailed for criticizing a deadly police assault last year against villagers living on disputed land outside Hanoi.
Trinh Ba Phuong and Nguyen Thi Tam were also convicted in a four-hour trial. Phuong received a 10-year prison term with five years’ probation, and Tam was sentenced to six years in prison with three years’ probation.
On Tuesday, independent journalist and activist Pham Doan Trang was sentenced in Hanoi to nine years in prison following her conviction under Article 117 for her writings advocating democracy and good governance in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s already low tolerance of dissent deteriorated sharply last year with a spate of arrests of independent journalists, publishers and Facebook personalities, as authorities sought to stifle critics in the run-up to the ruling Communist Party Congress in January.
Arrests have continued through 2021.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Dec 15, 2021
- Event Description
The Hanoi People’s Court tried land rights activists Trinh Ba Phuong and Nguyen Thi Tam on the morning of December 15. The trial concluded at around 1:15 p.m. on the same day.
According to attorney Dang Dinh Manh, the court sentenced Trinh Ba Phuong to 10 years of imprisonment and five years of probation; and Nguyen Thi Tam to six years of imprisonment and three years of probation. Phuong’s sentence was longer than the prison term requested by the Procuracy, which was eight to nine years in prison and five years of probation.
Most notably, families of the two activists had reportedly not received invitation letters prior to the trial. And when they were gathering in front of the court waiting for entry approval, families and relatives of Phuong and Tam were coerced by security forces and subsequently taken to the Duong Noi Police Station around 8.30 a.m.
Do Thi Thu, Phuong’s wife, previously wrote on her Facebook account that since early morning the security forces had set up “pandemic control” checkpoints at both ends of the alley where she lived in an effort to bar Phuong’s family from attending the trial.
As of 12 p.m., sources confirmed that Thu was still being detained at the police station and she could not be reached via Facebook. Nguyen Thanh Mai, Tam’s daughter, later said that she had to shut down her cell phone while being held at the police station, expressing fear that the police might confiscate it.
On her social media, Mai said that the police released them after the court announced the sentences.
Mai also shared that the police had denied their request to take them back to the court to get their motorbikes since they were forcibly taken to the police station on the authorities’ vehicles in the morning. Their demand, however, had still not been met as of 1:47 p.m. According to Mai, the police instead told them to “pay for a taxi to go home.”
In the latest live streaming video on her Facebook page at around 7 p.m. on December 15, Mai confirmed that she had safely returned home. According to her, none of the family members or relatives of Phuong and Tam could attend the trial this morning; the court cited COVID-19 preventive measures for their refusal to grant entry permission.
Mai also shared that she believed her mom had “done nothing wrong,” adding that Nguyen Thi Tam and Trinh Ba Phuong’s vocal criticisms regarding the Dong Tam incident only resulted from the missteps of Vietnamese authorities in handling sensitive land disputes.
Who are Trinh Ba Phuong and Nguyen Thi Tam?
Trinh Ba Phuong and Nguyen Thi Tam are land rights activists in Duong Noi Commune, Ha Dong District, Hanoi City. They became activists after their land was confiscated by the local authorities without just compensation. Phuong and Tam have also been amplifying the voices of farmers at Dong Tam Village, following a police raid of the village on January 9, 2020.
They were arrested on June 24, 2020, and subsequently charged with “making, storing, disseminating or propagandizing information, materials, and products against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” in accordance with Article 117 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal Code.
Trinh Ba Phuong is the eldest son of Can Thi Theu and the brother of Trinh Ba Tu. Theu and Tu were also arrested in June 2020. They were each sentenced to eight years imprisonment by the Hoa Binh provincial People’s Court in June 2020, under the same charges of “propagandizing against the State.”
What evidence was used to prosecute them?
According to the indictment, the evidence used to convict Trinh Ba Phuong and Nguyen Thi Tam was collected from their personal Facebook accounts, mostly from December 9 to 11, which coincided with the Dong Tam incident.
Phuong was also convicted of possessing the book “A Handbook for the Families of Prisoners” written by Pham Doan Trang.
The indictment states that the posts and videos they published on their social media contained information that was “defamatory and slanderous of the people’s government,” and it was “propagandizing false information, sowing confusion among the people.”
According to RFA, Phuong once told his lawyer that the police allegedly threatened to arrest his wife if he did not confess his crime.
What is the international response?
In a press statement, rights advocate Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the Vietnamese government’s conviction of the two land rights activists.
HRW urged the Vietnamese authorities to “immediately drop politically motivated charges and release the two land rights activists in Hanoi.”
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment, Restrictions on Movement, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Dec 15, 2021
- Event Description
The Constitutional Court has denied a request to copy several documents used as evidence in the ruling that protesters’ calls for monarchy reform is treasonous, claiming national security, says Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). After
the 10 November 2021 ruling that the calls for monarchy reform and monarchy-related activities organized by Anon Nampa, Panussaya Sitthijirawattanakul and Panupong Jadnok are treasonous, the activists’ lawyer requested to see the case file and copy every document related to the case. However, the Court refused to allow copies to be made of several documents used in the case.
TLHR said that the lawyer went to receive the copies of the documents on 15 December. They then found that most of the documents the Court allowed them to copy were documents that they already have, such as the complaint filed against the activists by lawyer Natthaporn Toprayoon, the activists’ defence and court declarations, the recordings of each hearing, the Court’s final ruling, and each judge’s opinions, most of which have already been made public.
However, they were not allowed to make copies of documents the Court requested from various government agencies, such as the Royal Thai Police, the National Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, Thammasat University, and Khlong Luang Police Station. The Court claimed that these documents were confidential and related to national security, and the lawyer is not allowed to check or even record the titles of the documents.
TLHR noted that these documents were the main evidence the Court used to back its ruling that the three activists’ actions can be considered as an attempt to ‘overthrow’ the democratic form of government with the King as Head of State. However, the defendants have never been allowed to see or copy these documents in order to prepare their defence.
On the day of the hearing, despite the lawyer’s request, the Court did not allow Anon, Panusaya and Panupong to be summoned to testify along with several other witnesses, claiming that it has enough evidence to rule on the case and that it has already sent all related documents to the defendants.
The activists also requested that several academics be summoned as witnesses, including historians Nithi Eoseewong and Charnvit Kasetsiri, legal scholar Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang, and writer Sulak Sivarak. However, none of these witnesses were given a chance to testify.
Realizing that they were not being given a fair chance to defend themselves and bring their own witnesses to the stand, the three activists and their legal team walked out of the courtroom as an act of protest. The ruling was then made without them being present.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to fair trial, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Dec 14, 2021
- Event Description
A court in Vietnam jailed a journalist and prominent dissident for nine years on Tuesday for anti-state activities, her lawyers and state media said, in a case that attracted the attention of international human rights groups. Pham Doan Trang, who published material widely on human rights and alleged police brutality in Vietnam, was convicted of "conducting propaganda against the state" by a Hanoi court, according to her legal team and state-controlled media. Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates little criticism.
Calls to the court seeking confirmation of the verdict went unanswered on Tuesday.
"It was such a long sentence, close to the maximum term for such activities," said one of her lawyers, Nguyen Van Mieng, adding that Trang did not plead guilty at the trial and they would meet later to discuss a possible appeal. Trang, 43, was detained hours after an annual US-Vietnam human rights dialogue in October last year, an arrest the US embassy said could impact freedom of expression. Dang Dinh Manh, another member of her legal team, said the nine-year sentence was severe. "The sentence is too long. The judges insisted that Trang's activities were dangerous for society and for the administration," Manh said. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, called the verdict an unacceptable sentence for a brave woman who only spoke her mind. "The imprisonment of such a committed reformer dedicated to promoting human rights, good governance and justice is a searing indictment of everything that is wrong with authoritarian Vietnam today," he said. "In a democratic society, Trang's prolific ideas and writings would be admired and extolled rather than criminalized."
In May 2016, police detained and prevented Trang from attending a meeting with then-US President Barack Obama, who had invited her to join him at an activists' forum. Two years later, she was detained after meeting with a European delegation that was preparing for an annual EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue.
During the one-day trial which failed to meet international standards for a fair trial, the People’s Court of Hanoi found her guilty of “Conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 88 of the country’s Penal Code 1999 which was replaced by the Criminal Code 2015 from 2018.
Ms. Trang, who was honored by a number of international and Vietnamese rights groups such as the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Czech human rights group People In Need, and the California-based Vietnam Human Rights Network, was protected by well-known lawyers including Saigon-based human rights attorneys Dang Dinh Manh and Nguyen Van Mieng. However, the judge reportedly ignored their defense statements.
The sentence was harder than the proposal of between seven and eight years in prison of the People’s Procuracy of Hanoi.
Only Trang’s mother and older brother were permitted to attend the trial while many activists were reportedly held de facto under house arrest from very early of Tuesday. The main roads leading to the court areas were blocked by security forces. Diplomats from the EU and some other countries were monitoring the hearing via TV screen in another room near the courtroom.
Ms. Trang, 43, has a little chance of getting reduced sentence or freed if she appeals today’s judgment.
The former reporter of the state-controlled VnExpress newswire was arrested on October 6 last year, a few hours after the 24th Vietnam-US Annual Human Rights Dialogue. Initially, she was accused of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code 1999 and Article 117 of the Criminal Code 2015 for her writing criticizing the authoritarian regime. Later, the second charge was dropped.
In a meeting with her lawyers before the trial, she said that she was held incommunicado for months and later placed to share a cell with other inmates who tried to beat her seven times but she fought back and won. She has suffered a number of diseases, including high blood pressure, and an injured leg which was a result of plainclothes attack in the peaceful demonstration in Hanoi on May 1, 2015 on environmental issue.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 11, 2021
- Event Description
Around midnight on December 11,approximately 20 soldiers arrived at Aung San Lin’s residence in Pin Zin village and arrested him. The journalist was transferred to a Wetlet police station before being transported to the Shwebo Interrogation Centre on December 12.
Aung San Lin was reportedly beaten during his arrest, according to family members present at the scene, who have not been allowed to visit him and are concerned for his wellbeing.
The journalist was arrested after he published an article regarding the recent burning down of the homes of three National League for Democracy (NLD) supporters by Myanmar’s military and Pyu Saw Htee militia forces.
Executive director of DVB, Aye Chan Naing, confirmed Aung San Lin’s arrest. “So far, we haven’t got any updated news about him. We heard he was taken to the Shwe Bo military station and is no longer in his village in Wet Latt township,” he said.
On December 12, Min Theik Tun, an underage reporter for Myanmar’s Regional News Agency, was also arrested in Monywa of the Sagaing region along with 11 others. The young journalist was covering a protest in the area when he was detained.
Myanmar’s junta has antagonised journalists since it assumed control in the military coup on February 1, with over 100 journalists arrested during its administration and many remaining in custody. After its exclusion at a regional summit in October, the junta released dozens of journalists in an amnesty on humanitarian grounds, an action largely met with distrust.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Dec 11, 2021
- Event Description
A group of Filipino journalists has assailed the series of cyber-attacks targeting the Philippine media and called on government agencies to investigate and stop these attacks.
In its statement, ABS-CBN said their news website was shut down on Dec. 11, and became inaccessible to their readers at 10:30 a.m. The news network confirmed that it was a distributed denial of service attack, which lasted for almost six hours.
DDoS refers to the flooding of a website server until it becomes inaccessible to its readers.
Four days later, online news Rappler said the website was also subjected to a DDoS attack, and that it shut down their website for two hours. Later in the evening, at 9:56 p.m., their website had already received over six million requests. At the peak of the attack, the site had reportedly received over 650,000 requests per second. Rappler also mentioned that 95 percent of the requests barraging their site were targeting the recently published story on the Senate’s approval of the bill which allowed 100% foreign ownership of public utility services.
Among the latest was that of Vera Files, an independent media known for its fact-checking arm, which was subjected to DDoS on Dec. 16.
In a report, Vera Files said their website security service recorded “almost 4,000 of unique IP addresses issued more than 70 million” against them.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned the consecutive attacks on media, and said in their statement that these attacks continue to happen amid the urgent need for information as the country is faced with Typhoon Odette.
“NUJP stands with colleagues under cyber-attack and is ready to work with them to document, trace and hold the perpetrators accountable,” the group said.
This is not the first time that news agencies have been subjected to cyber-attacks.
Last month, alternative news Pinoy Weekly has been subjected to another wave of cyberattacks, leading to the shutdown of their website for almost two days.
Pinoy Weekly, Bulatlat, Kodao Productions, and AlterMidya – People’s Alternative Media Network have been subjected to relentless cyberattacks since 2018. This year, Sweden-based Qurium Media Foundation was able to trace the attacks to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Army.
“That these attacks are happening as we near the elections — when vetted information will be crucial in addressing disinformation, misinformation, and political rhetoric — is the most concerning of all,” NUJP said.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to work
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 10, 2021
- Event Description
Myanmar authorities should release three Kanbawza Tai News journalists recently sentenced to prison for their work and drop all charges against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
On December 10, a court at the Nyaung Shwe Taung Lay Lone Prison, in Shan state, sentenced editor Nang Nang Tai, reporter Nann Win Yi, and publisher Tin Aung Kyaw to three years each in prison under Article 505(a) of the penal code, according to a report by their employer and Kanbawza Tai News chief editor Zay Tai, who communicated with CPJ by messaging app.
Article 505(a) criminalizes “any attempt to cause fear, spread false news, [or] agitate directly or indirectly a criminal offense against a government employee” or any action that causes “hatred, disobedience, or disloyalty toward the military and the government.”
All three journalists were arrested on March 24, 2021, at their homes in Hopong, Shan state, after covering protests against the country’s February 1 coup, Zay Tai said, adding that they had been held in pretrial detention since their arrests.
“Myanmar’s coup government must immediately release journalists Nang Nang Tai, Nann Win Yi, and Tin Aung Kyaw, and stop prosecuting members of the press for merely gathering and presenting the news,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Myanmar’s junta must stop treating journalists like criminals and allow all reporters to work freely without fear of imprisonment and reprisal.”
Kanbawza Tai News is an independent news website that covers politics and general news in Shan state, according to CPJ’s review of its website and Facebook page, which has more than 600,000 followers.
Zay Tai also faces an arrest warrant under Article 505(a) but has not been detained as of today, he told CPJ and The Irrawaddy.
The three sentenced journalists attended 19 court hearings held from April 8 to December 10, according to their employer’s report. They were allowed access to lawyers but not their family members, and do not immediately plan to appeal their convictions, Zay Tai told CPJ.
The court also sentenced Nang Nang Tai’s relative Sai Si Thu to three years in prison on the same charge, Zay Tai told CPJ, adding that authorities falsely described Sai Si Thu as a journalist.
CPJ emailed Myanmar’s Ministry of Information for comment, but did not immediately receive any response.
Myanmar’s military junta has cracked down on independent media outlets since its democracy-suspending coup on February 1, 2021, and has detained dozens of journalists, according to CPJ research.
In CPJ’s annual prison census, published earlier this month, Myanmar ranked as the world’s second-worst jailer, with at least 26 members of the press held behind bars for their work.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 10, 2021
- Event Description
Authorities at Yangon’s Insein Prison have refused to allow medical treatment to nearly 90 detainees who were brutally beaten a week ago during a nationwide “Silent Strike” protest against Myanmar's military junta rule, the detainees’ relatives and lawyers said Friday.
Dozens of political prisoners showed their solidarity with nationwide demonstrations by staying in their cells after morning roll call and singing the protest song “Our Pledge in Blood” in unison.
Authorities at the infamous Yangon detention facility attacked the prisoners for joining the Silent Strike, which was held on Human Rights Day on Dec. 10. The strike left many cities and towns empty as citizens stayed home in protest of the military regime and its brutal crackdown following its Feb. 1 coup.
At Insein, prison authorities threw strike organizers into solitary confinement and shackled their legs, sources close to the prisoners told RFA in an earlier report.
Some of the prisoners were critically wounded but were denied medical care, while some female prisoners were subjected to sexual harassment, sources said.
A pro-democracy student leader who had joined the prison strike suffered critical head and back injuries that were left untreated. He was instead placed in solitary confinement as punishment for participating, his family said.
Sitt Naing, vice chairman of the Yangon University of Education Students’ Union, who was involved in the Silent Strike in Insein Prison, is in critical condition, a relative said.
“As family members, we are worried about his life,” said the woman, who declined to give her name out of fear of retribution. “It is because he is not even allowed to apply medicine to the wounds, let alone receive medical treatment.
“We believe that his life is still in danger,” she added. “He urgently needs medical treatment.”
Wai Yan Phyo Moe, vice chairman of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, and Lay Pyay Soe Moe, spokesman for student rights for the Yangon University Students’ Union, were also severely beaten during the crackdown, family members said. They are reportedly being held in solitary confinement with their legs in shackles.
Mya Moe, mother of Lay Pyay Soe Moe, told RFA that prison staff denied her son medical help. “On the day of the trial, the lawyers brought some ointment for his wounds but were not allowed to apply them,” she said. “He was rudely told to put his shirt back on and to ‘stop the nonsense.’ That’s how the prison staff talked to him.”
RFA could not reach Insein Prison officials or Myanmar’s Ministry of Justice. Ministries have not responded to media requests for comment since the coup, and only junta spokesmen can issue statements.
A spokesman for the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP), a nonprofit human rights organization based in Mae Sot, Thailand, said refusing medical treatment to wounded detainees was a “grave violation of human rights” by prison authorities and that those responsible should be held accountable.
The spokesman asked not to be identified for safety reasons.
A lawyer representing some of the prisoners said the victims asked the court for their injuries to be recorded, but the court refused.
“We saw some clients at trial who had been beaten,” he said. “When they were brought in, the lawyers showed the injuries they had sustained and requested that the court put them on record, but some courts rejected the requests.”
Junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun in an earlier report denied that there had been any protests inside Insein Prison.
Following the Silent Strike, prison authorities enacted stricter measures for detainees, transferring some to cells with criminals and other forms of repression that violated human rights, said Tun Kyi, a member of the Former Political Prisoners Society.
“A prison is one of the worst and most serious mechanisms for violating human rights, and it’s where human dignity can be taken away,” he said.
Before being taken out of Insein Prison for court hearings, authorities instructed female prisoners to take off their sarongs so they could feel and search their genitals, he said.
“It was OK for inmates to send letters to their families in the past, and families could also send in letters, but now they have banned all these exchanges,” he said.
News of the prisoner maltreatment has been leaked from the inside by detainees clandestinely passing small notes to family members and their lawyers during their trials.
When prisoners are taken to court for hearings, authorities constantly monitor their conversations with their attorneys and have threatened the lawyers not to leak information to the media, attorneys and family members of those imprisoned said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which used to make humanitarian visits to prisons until March 2020, is still waiting for permission to resume its prison activities.
On Friday, the AAPP reported that junta forces have killed 1,346 people and arrested 11,023 others since the Feb. 1 coup.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to health, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Dec 10, 2021
- Event Description
Demo mahasiswa yang digelar di kawasan Patung Kuda Arjuna Wijaya, Jakarta Pusat sempat ricuh. Tiga mahasiswa ditangkap, satu di antaranya dipukul aparat kepolisian.
Pantauan CNNIndonesia.com di lapangan, polisi mengejar mahasiswa ketika kericuhan pecah di Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Jakarta Pusat. Belum diketahui penyebab kericuhan tersebut.
Dalam kejadian itu, tiga mahasiswa ditangkap aparat berpakaian bebas. Mereka dipiting ketika digiring ke kawasan Monas. Satu di antaranya sempat dipukul di bagian kepala dan dada.
Pelaku pemukulan itu mengenakan pakaian bertuliskan polisi di punggungnya. Sementara lainnya mengenakan baju bebas dengan tulisan Satya Haprabu. Mereka sempat memukul peserta aksi yang ditangkap tersebut.
Mahasiswa menggelar aksi di kawasan Monas dalam rangka peringatan Hari HAM Sedunia yang jatuh pada hari ini. Dalam aksi itu, mereka menuntut agar UU Cipta Kerja segera dicabut.
Saat ini situasi di lapangan kembali kondusif. Sementara demonstrasi terus berlangsung di kawasan tersebut.
Di lokasi yang sama, kelompok buruh dari Kongres Aliansi Serikat Buruh Indonesia (KASBI) juga menggelar demonstrasi di depan Balai Kota Jakarta. Mereka menagih janji Gubernur DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan soal UMP.
Massa buruh memadati Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, akibatnya lalu lintas sempat tersendat. Sejumlah aparat tampak bersiaga dan mengatur lalu lintas di sekitar lokasi demo.
"Kenaikan (UMP) itu kan memang tidak layak sesuai dengan kebutuhan hidup kaum buruh di Jakarta. Kami datang untuk menagih janji pak gubernur yang mana katanya memang mau merevisi UMP 2022," kata Sekjen KASBI, Sunarno.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 10, 2021
- Event Description
After a journalist died under interrogation today and three others were arrested in the past few days, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the international community to condemn the escalation in terror against reporters covering the news in Myanmar and to implement targeted sanctions against the generals running the country.
Freelance photographer Soe Naing has become the first journalist to pay with his life for trying to report the news. After being detained for four days, he was declared dead this morning as a result of the force used during interrogation. He was arrested by soldiers while covering a silent street protest in the Yangon district of Latha on 10 December to mark Human Rights Day.
Zaw Tun, a freelance photographer who works for various media outlets, was arrested at the same time as Soe Naing. Several sources including a relative told RSF that Soe Naing’s body was handed over to his family this morning. Zaw Tun continues to be held.
Alarm signal
“With Soe Naing’s death, a new tragic threshold has been crossed this morning in the terror that Myanmar’s military are using against journalists,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “His death must serve as an alarm signal and push the international community to impose new targeted sanctions on the military junta that has been running the country since February, starting with its chief, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. The world can no longer look on without doing something.”
Two other reporters were arrested two days ago, on 12 December, in yet another sign of the ever-harsher crackdown on media personnel throughout the country.
One was Democratic Voice of Burma reporter Aung San Lin, who was arrested by soldiers in the middle of the night at his home in Pin Zen, a village in Wetlet, a district near the big northern city of Mandalay. RSF has been told that his arrest was a reprisal for his recent report about soldiers deliberately starting fires in order to target pro-democracy activists.
57 journalists detained
The other was Min Theik Tun, who was arrested a few hours later along with 11 other persons while covering a protest in Monywa, a town 100 km west of Mandalay, for a regional news agency, according to the Mizzima News website. Neither he nor Aung San Lin were able to talk with a relative or a lawyer.
RSF began sounding the alarm about the latest escalation in the persecution of journalists in Myanmar last week, after the violent arrests of two Myanmar Pressphoto Agency journalists, Kaung Sett Lin and Hmu Yadanar Khet Moh Moh Tun, on 5 December. The latter, who was badly injured when arrested, is still in a serious condition, according to the latest information.
According to RSF’s press freedom violations barometer, which is constantly updated, at least 57 journalists are currently imprisoned in Myanmar.
Myanmar is ranked 140th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index that RSF published in early 2021.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Death, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to life
- HRD
- Artist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Dec 9, 2021
- Event Description
Sejumlah mama-mama di Desa Rendu Butowe, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) melaksanakan aksi telanjang dada menolak kehadiran aparat kepolisian di desa mereka. Warga menolak direlokasi dari tempat tinggalnya.
Hal ini diungkap Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN) dalam akun Twitter @RumahAMAN pada Kamis (9/12). Mulanya, sejumlah aparat kepolisian mendatangi Desa Rendu Butowe pada pagi hari. Kemudian, sekitar pukul 10.45 WITA, mereka memaksa masuk lokasi Lowo Se dengan merusak pagar yang dibangun warga. Menurut AMAN, Beberapa anggota polisi dan Brimob juga melakukan kekerasan terhadap warga.
"Ada aksi perlawanan dari warga dengan melakukan pengadangan, sehingga terjadi aksi saling dorong. Bahkan ada aksi telanjang dada yang dilakukan oleh mama-mama," demikian cuitan AMAN di @RumahAMAN, Kamis (9/12).
Sekjen AMAN Rukka Sombolinggi membenarkan kejadian tersebut. Dia mengatakan kekerasan aparat terhadap masyarakat adat Desa Rendu Butowe bukan kali ini saja terjadi.
Menurutnya, kekerasan aparat terjadi sejak pemerintah mencanangkan Proyek Strategis Nasional (PSN) pembangunan Bendungan Lambo di Desa Rendu Butowe, Nagekeo, NTT.
"Pemerintah tidak mau mendengar sama sekali aspirasi dari masyarakat adat di situ. Masyarakat itu selalu menolak pindah, meminta kampung-meminta itu tidak ditenggelamkan, tidak dirusak. Karena tidak ada lagi kehidupan lain bagi mereka selain kampung itu," kata Rukka saat dihubungi. Menurut dia, rencana pembangunan pemerintah ini tidak memikirkan nasib masyarakat adat. Padahal, selama ini pemerintah mengklaim bahwa pembangunan besar-besaran itu diperuntukkan untuk masyarakat.
"Sementara ini bicara pembangunan, pembangunan untuk siapa? Untuk seluruh rakyat toh, kan mereka juga rakyat Indonesia," jelas Rukka.
"Memang perlu kebesaran hati semua pihak, termasuk pemerintah daerah dan pusat untuk melihat kembali lokasi itu," kata dia menambahkan. Sementara itu, berdasarkan laman resmi AMAN, kejadian ini bukan kali pertama. Sebelumnya, pada 9 Oktober 2021 juga terjadi kekerasan oleh aparat terhadap warga Desa Rendu Betowe.
Saat itu, polisi memborgol tangan Hermina Mawa atau akrab disapa Mama Mince, salah seorang perempuan adat Rendu.
Ketua Forum Penolakan Pembangunan Waduk Lambo (FPPWL) Bernadinus Gaso mengatakan, tindakan memborgol Mama merupakan tindakan kriminalisasi terhadap masyarakat adat yang sesungguhnya tidak boleh terjadi karena mama-mama di sana tidak melakukan aksi penghadangan yang mengganggu keamanan dan ketertiban negara.
Bernadinus menuturkan bahwa perempuan adat dari Rendu, Ndora, dan Lambo melakukan aksi penghadangan terhadap tim survei dan BWS di pintu keluar dari lokasi Lowo Se karena BWS dan timnya melakukan aktivitas pengukuran wilayah adat tanpa izin Masyarakat Adat. Sementara itu, Kabid Humas Polda NTT Kombes Pol Rishian Krisna menyatakan tidak ada kekerasan dalam peristiwa tersebut.
Dia mengatakan masyarakat menutup akses jalan masuk pada saat petugas akan melakukan aktivitas pengukuran di titik poros bendungan Mbay/Lambo (Kali Lowo Se) oleh PT Brantas Abhipraya.
Kontraktor Pelaksana Paket II Pembangunan Waduk Mbay/Lambo itu, kata Rishian, dikawal 25 orang anggota Polres Nagekeo dengan dibantu 10 orang personel satuan Brimob NTT serta 5 personel polwan BKO Polres Ngada dan Satpol PP Kabupaten Nagekeo.
Menurutnya, polisi berusaha melakukan negosiasi dengan masyarakat yang didominasi oleh ibu-ibu. Namun negosiasi itu gagal.
Dia mengatakan masyarakat tetap bersikukuh tidak mengizinkan petugas masuk dan melakukan aktivitas.
"Karena tidak adanya titik temu, anggota melakukan pembongkaran pagar dan mendapatkan perlawanan dari masyarakat di antaranya berupa aksi melepaskan pakaian dari ibu-ibu," kata Rishian saat dikonfirmasi CNNIndonesia.com melalui keterangan tertulis.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Dec 9, 2021
- Event Description
Mahasiswa di Aceh Barat yang hendak menggelar demonstrasi peringatan Hari Hak Asasi Manusia (HAM) di depan Gedung Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Kabupaten (DPRK) setempat, dibubarkan kepolisian, Kamis (9/12). Pembubaran itu berujung ricuh.
Enam mahasiswa yang tergabung dalam Gerakan Rakyat Menggugat (GERAM) diduga dipukul polisi. Satu orang terpaksa Dirawat ke rumah sakit.
Kabid Humas Polda Aceh Kombes Pol Winardy, mengatakan aksi mahasiswa tersebut terpaksa dibubarkan karena dilakukan pada malam hari, dan dinilai sudah melanggar Undang-Undang Nomor 9 Tahun 1998 Tentang Penyampaian Pendapat di Muka Umum.
Dia menyebut, sebelum langkah tegas itu dilakukan, polisi telah terlebih dahulu memberi imbauan agar mereka tidak melakukan aksi di malam hari. Namun imbauan ini disebut tak digubris.
"Sebelumnya telah diberikan imbauan oleh pihak Polres Aceh Barat kepada Korlapnya untuk tidak melakukan aksi pada malam hari karena menyalahi aturan. Namun, mereka tidak mengindahkan dan terpaksa diambil langkah tegas untuk dibubarkan," kata Winardy, Jumat (10/12).
Winardy membenarkan saat pembubaran, sempat terjadi aksi saling dorong sehingga salah satu peserta aksi terjatuh dan dilarikan ke UGD rumah sakit.
"Namun, menurut keterangan dokter piket siaga UGD, yang bersangkutan (peserta aksi) dalam keadaan sehat serta tidak ditemukan luka memar," ujarnya.
Winardy mengklaim, aksi saling dorong itu terjadi karena adanya upaya provokasi dari peserta aksi. "Sempat ada upaya provokasi dari kalangan peserta aksi. Namun, berkat profesionalitas petugas di lapangan hal itu bisa diatasi dan aksi ujuk rasa berhasil dibubarkan," ujarnya.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Dec 6, 2021
- Event Description
On 6 December, 36 villagers from Chana District, Songkhla Province, were arrested after they camped in front of Government House, asking for an update on the promise made last year to reconsider a 16,700-rai industrial estate in the South that would affect their livelihoods.
As of 7 December afternoon, the environmental law NGO EnLaw,, tweeted that the villagers had been released without bail at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau where they were detained for a night. The police set the condition that they must not stage any activity of this kind again.
According to the Cross Cultural Foundation (CrCF), the villagers were charged with violating the Emergency Decree, causing traffic disruptions and refusing to follow official instructions. Among the villagers charged was a 70 year old.
“What the police have done to the people of Chana who came peacefully to demand answers from the government clearly shows that this is a government working for tycoons before the people,” said Pornpen Kongkachonkiet, Director of the Cross Cultural Foundation. “This further demonstrates that this government has no respect for the people.”
On Tuesday, 18-year-old Khairiyah Rahmanyah and other young protesters who had not been arrested gathered in front of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, opposite Government House, and declared they will keep fighting.
Meanwhile, Rungruang Rahmanyah, one of the protesters arrested last night, wrote a letter while in detention saying that the police told them that the authorities won't press charges against them if they stop protesting against the industrial project.
Ruangruang wrote that the protesters refused the offer, and that they will return to Government House once released.
"We are ready to give up our lives," he wrote.
On Monday night, community members were taken away in a detention truck, while crowd control police prevented reporters from recording the operation, threatening them with arrest and claiming that this was in line with an agreement between the Royal Thai Police and the media professional associations. Lights were intentionally directed against the photographers to prevent photographing. The police also stopped volunteer medics from reaching community members.
The incident caused #saveจะนะ hit Thailand’s twitter top trend on 6 and 7 December.
The Chana industrial project was approved by a resolution at the last cabinet meeting of the junta government which was installed after the coup in 2014. The project aims to construct an 18-billion-baht industrial estate on 16,700 rai of land. The area covers 3 sub districts with 1,500 residents.
The project is controversial because of questions about the public hearing process where those who opposed the project for a number of reasons, including its impact on livelihoods, homes and the environment, were barred from attending hearings.
The villagers had come to protest at Government House in December last year, demanding the project be cancelled and for a proper Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to be conducted to establish quality technical data for decisions about further development projects in the south.
At that time, Thammanat Prompao, the then Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, announced that a committee would be formed consisting of both those in favour and those against the project. Membership of the committee would be considered later and fieldwork carried out at the beginning of 2021.
On Tuesday (7 December 2021), Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha answered the media about the Chana protesters incident, saying that what Thammanat had proposed to the villagers was not agreed upon by either the cabinet or himself.
Gen Prayut was the one who fired Thammanat in September 2021 during the no-confidence motion after rumours of Thammanat’s attempt to topple him from within the ruling Palang Pracharat Party.
- Impact of Event
- 36
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 5, 2021
- Event Description
Regime forces plowed into a crowd of protesters in Yangon’s Kyimyindaing Township early Sunday morning, killing at least five before arresting around 15 others.
Witnesses told Myanmar Now that the incident occurred minutes after a flash mob formed at around 9am to demand an end to military rule.
Video footage of the incident shows a vehicle speeding past cars as it approached the protesters, who can be seen scattering seconds before impact. Moments later, the sound of gunfire can be heard over the screams and shouts of the protesters.
“The car accelerated and rammed into the protesters. Four or five were thrown into the air,” said a member of the protest group that organized the demonstration.
One of the protesters who managed to escape told Myanmar Now by phone that he was hit with the butt of a rifle after he was knocked down by the vehicle.
“I think they hit me to knock me unconscious so that they could continue arresting other protesters,” he said.
“I think there were only around 10 of them,” he added, referring to the junta forces responsible for the attack.
According to a local resident who witnessed the incident, soldiers beat the protesters who had fallen to the ground and aimed their rifles at people watching from their apartments.
The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the soldiers only allowed an ambulance into the area after they had finished washing blood off of the street.
Despite the deadly attack, another protest was held in Yangon’s Hlaing Township later in the day.
The junta’s use of lethal force against anti-regime protesters has done little to stop public displays of resistance to the February 1 coup in Yangon and other towns and cities around the country.
Zaw Min Tun, the regime’s spokesperson, was not available for comment on Sunday’s attack.
Since seizing power just over 10 months ago, the junta has murdered at least 1,300 civilians and arrested thousands more, some of whom have died in custody after being subjected to torture.
Meanwhile, clashes have intensified between the military and armed resistance groups in many parts of the country, including Chin and Kayah (Karenni) states and Sagaing and Magway regions.
Ethnic armed groups in Kachin and Kayin (Karen) states have also battled regime forces with increasing frequency since the coup, which has thrown much of the country into chaos.
In many remote areas, regime forces have suffered heavy casualties, prompting “clearance operations” that have forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes.
- Impact of Event
- 22
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Killing, Use of Excessive Force, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to life
- HRD
- Media Worker, Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Dec 3, 2021
- Event Description
An activist with the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) was killed last week after being taken into custody by regime forces, according to fellow members of the group.
Hnin Aung, 26, was apprehended at a checkpoint near Tin Ngoke Gyi, a village in Sagaing Region’s Kanbalu Township, last Friday and had been tortured to death by the next day, an ABFSU source told Myanmar Now.
“He was travelling when he ran into some soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee members doing security checks,” the source said, referring to a pro-junta militia that has been accused of carrying out attacks on groups opposed to the regime.
Hnin Aung was reportedly carrying 10m kyat ($5,600) in cash on him at the time of his capture.
“The Pyu Saw Htee killed him and took that money. He didn’t even try to run,” added the ABFSU source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The regime later reported on social media that Hnin Aung had been shot and arrested while attacking the checkpoint—a claim denied by ABFSU members familiar with the situation.
“Hnin Aung always took great care of his and his organization’s security,” said former ABFSU leader Kyaw Ko Ko, who called the junta’s allegation “a lie”.
Myanmar Now was unable to confirm reports that Hnin Aung had been tortured. However, it has learned that his family has so far been denied permission to claim his body.
Prior to joining the ABFSU, Hnin Aung was a labour rights activist. In May 2016, he was arrested while marching from Sagaing to Naypyitaw as part of a workers’ strike and sentenced to one year in prison.
Following his release, he joined the ABFSU as a central executive committee member. Until 2019, he was the group’s officer in charge of ethnic affairs.
Fellow activist Kyaw Thee, who knew Hnin Aung during his early days as a labour rights leader in Mandalay, said he was saddened by the loss of his former colleague.
“He actively advocated for the affairs of workers, farmers and students. I will always remember him,” he said.
On Saturday, the ABFSU released a statement saying that it was proud of “Comrade” Hnin Aung, who it said had died as a martyr in the fight against Myanmar’s military dictatorship.
A number of affiliated groups also expressed their condolences.
Myanmar Now attempted to contact the Kanbalu police station and regime spokespeople for comment on Hnin Aung’s death, but its calls were not returned.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Dec 2, 2021
- Event Description
Pihak kepolisian menetapkan 8 mahasiswa Papua pengibar bendera Bintang Kejora di GOR Cenderawasih, Papua sebagai tersangka. Mereka disebut melakukan dugaan tindak pidana makar dan tengah menjalani pemeriksaan.
Koordinator Litigasi Koalisi Penegak Hukum dan HAM Papua, Emanuel Gobay mengatakan bahwa informasi tersebut diterima dari Kepala Unit 1 Reskirim Polda Papua. Saat ini ia mendampingi 8 orang mahasiswa tersebut.
"8 mahasiswa pengibar bendera bintang kejora di Gor Cendewarasih Jayapura telah dinaikan statusnya menjadi tersangka atas dugaan tindak pidana makar," kata Emanuel dalam keterangan tertulisnya, Kamis (2/12/2021).
Emanuel mengabarkan 2 mahasiswa saat ini tengah menjalani pemeriksaan. Sementara 6 orang lainnya tengah menunggu proses pemeriksaan.
Ditangkap Polisi
Sebelumnya 8 mahasiswa itu ditangkap polisi karena melakukan pengibaran bendera Bintang Kejora di halaman GOR Cenderawasih, Jayapura pada Rabu (1/12/2021). Lokasinya terletak di samping Markas Polda Papua.
Mereka mengibarkan bendera Bintang Kejora pada 1 Desember 2021. Tanggal itu merupakan hari kemerdekaan rakyat Papua Barat setelah melawan penjajah.
Namun tanggal yang sama juga dikenal sebagai hari ulang tahun OPM.
- Impact of Event
- 8
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Minority rights defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Dec 1, 2021
- Event Description
On the afternoon of December 1, authorities in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak detained local activist Huynh Thuc Vy, who has been convicted of defaming the national flag and sentenced to 33 months in prison but enjoyed delayed imprisonment due to her maternal status. Currently, she is held incommunicado in the temporary detention center managed by the province’s Police Department and it is likely the local authorities will force her to serve her sentence although her second child is only two and a half year old.
Huynh Thuc Vy has been taken into custody after a court in Dak Lak revoked the suspension which allowed her to delay serving her prison sentence. The reason given was that she had violated her terms of suspension by “actions that violate the law which cause dangers to society.” The court did not specify what those actions were. A recipient of the Hellman/Hammett Prize in 2012, Vy was arrested in 2018 after she sprayed paint on a Vietnam flag. She was convicted of “defacing the national flag” under Article 276 and sentenced to two years and nine months in prison. According to domestic law, however, she should not have to report to prison until her child is three years old, which he isn’t yet.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Dec 1, 2021
- Event Description
Cambodian monk Bor Bet was released on bail from detention with Thai immigration Friday afternoon and is now at an undisclosed location, a Thai parliamentarian said.
The activist monk, who is a frequent critic of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was detained Wednesday evening and transferred to Immigration Bureau on Wednesday. He spent the night there.
Siripa Intavichein, a deputy spokesperson for the Democrat Party, which is part of the ruling coalition government in Thailand, confirmed that Bet had been released on bail and was transferred to a safe location.
“He is in good condition and the Thai police took good care of him,” she said. “I cannot tell you where he is.”
Bet told VOD on Thursday, when he was at the immigration department, that he was “still strong” and going through what many activists had previously faced.
Siripa said the monk had to visit the police every 30 days, but there were no other restrictions as long as he did not break any Thai laws. She added that rights groups were working on trying to get Bet placed in a third country, if he wanted to leave Thailand.
In the past six weeks, three other Cambodians, all linked to the dissolved CNRP, have been extradited from Thailand. Other dissidents have been deported in the last few years, including a news fixer who worked on a Russia Today documentary on underage sex trafficking and a Kampong Speu resident who threw a shoe at a CPP billboard in 2017.
Speaking of the recent extraditions, Siripa said some of these cases were because of miscommunication, where Thai immigration officials mixed up people with refugee status with Cambodian workers who had illegally entered the neighboring country.
Rights groups have been critical of Thailand’s decision to extradite Cambodians with refugee status and have said the Thai government should abide by the principle of non-refoulement, where a country should not return refugees and asylum seekers if they face the danger of persecution.
UNHCR did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday and Friday. It had criticized the extradition of the three CNRP refugees in late November.
Bet spoke to VOD Friday evening and said he was questioned about how and why he had entered Thailand by Thai authorities. He informed them that he was a forest rights activist and had left Cambodia because he feared being arrested.
The authorities he met told him they were reluctant to arrest a monk, and the Thai Interpol told him there was a complaint from Cambodia that led to his arrest, he said.
“They said they don’t want to arrest us but there is an order from the superior,” he said.
He did not explicitly say that he wanted to leave Thailand, but said he was not against moving to a third country. He said 10 countries were being considered, including Australia and Switzerland. Though he had been advised by his lawyers to temper his social media activity and criticism of the government, he wanted to continue his activism.
“I will continue my journey. I am still strong and will not back down and will not be afraid of other situations because we are fighters. We have to move forward,” he said.
Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, a Thai human rights defender and director of the Cross Cultural Foundation, said, in brief comments, that she was pleased of the “good political decision” taken by the Thai government to intervene in this case, and hoped it would set a precedent for Thailand to protect refugees and asylum seekers.
Bet previously told Voice of America that he had fled from Cambodia in December 2020 because he feared being defrocked by Cambodian officials. Last year, Khmer Thavrak member Koet Saray was defrocked and convicted for incitement for participating in protests calling for the release of prominent unionist Rong Chhun. Both Saray and Chhun were released last month.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Administrative Harassment, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Dec 1, 2021
- Event Description
Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) Papua menyampaikan sedikitnya 26 warga ditangkap aparat kepolisian saat memperingati 60 tahun deklarasi kemerdekaan bangsa Papua pada 1 Desember.
Direktur LBH Papua, Emanuel Gobay menyebut dari 26 warga tersebut, tujuh orang merupakan mahasiswa dari Jayapura dan 19 orang lainnya pemuda serta tokoh di Merauke. Salah satu yang ditangkap adalah Pejuang Papua dari Distrik One Kampung KW Kabupaten Merauke, Paulina Imumbar.
"Tujuh mahasiswa Papua yang ditangkap di Jayapura, 19 Pemuda dan orang tua yang ditahan di Merauke," kata Emanuel kepada CNNIndonesia.com, Rabu (1/12).
Emanuel menjelaskan, ketujuh mahasiswa ditangkap saat aksi long march mulai dari Gedung Olahraga Jayapura menuju Markas Komando Kepolisian Daerah Papua. Sementara itu, kata dia, 19 orang lainnya ditangkap setelah viral Video Paulina Imumbar di media sosial.
"Kalau 19 di Merauke karena ada video yang viral terkait keterangan mama Paulina yang isinya juga ada kaitannya dengan tanggal 1. Sementara 7 di Jayapura karena aksi tanggal 1," jelas dia.
Emanuel mengatakan warga yang ditahan tersebut sampai saat ini masih didampingi oleh pihaknya, PAHAM Papua dan Koalisi Penegak Hukum dan HAM Papua.
Terpisah, Direktur Reserse Kriminal Umum Polda Papua Kombes Faisal Ramdhani membenarkan tujuh orang telah ditangkap di Gedung Olahraga (GOR) Cendrawasih.
Namun, pihaknya belum bisa membeberkan identas ketujuh orang tersebut karena masih dalam proses pemeriksaan.
"Tujuh orang yang kami amankan. [Identitas] Nanti masih diperiksa," kata Faisal saat dikonfirmasi, Rabu (1/12).
Faisal membantah penangkapan itu kaena perayaan HUT 1 Desember. Ia menyebut, ketujuh mahasiswa itu ditangkap lantaran membentangkan bendera bintang kejora.
"Bukan [karena HUT], mereka membentangkan bendera bintang kejora," ucapnya.
Sementara itu, 19 orang lainnya belum bisa dikonfirmasi.
Momentum 1 Desember dianggap sebagai Hari Kemerdekaan bagi rakyat Papua sejalan dengan pengakuan kemerdekaan oleh pemerintahan Belanda pada 1961 silam.
Namun, upaya kemerdekaan Papua kemudian terganjal oleh perjanjian New York Agreement pada 15 Agustus 1962. Perjanjian tersebut dibuat tanpa pelibatan masyarakat asli Papua.
Aksi unjuk rasa 1 Desember memperingati hari puncak peringatan Hari Ulang Tahun (HUT) Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM) di Ambon, Maluku berlangsung ricuh di depan Gong Perdamaian Dunia, Ambon Maluku, Rabu (1/12)
Pantauan CNNIndonesia.com, mulanya sekitar 24 mahasiswa Papua menggelar aksi unjuk rasa di Depan Gong Perdamaian Funia, Kota Ambon, Maluku pukul 10.00 WIT. Aksi unjuk rasa HUT OPM itu sempat mendapat izin aparat kepolisian. Namun hanya diberikan waktu aksi hanya satu jam saja. Mereka membentangkan spanduk bertulisan Peringatan 60 Tahu Deklarasi Kemerdekaan West Papua.
Ada beberapa aspirasi lain yang disampaikan yakni Demiliterasi, Cabut Perpanjangan Otsus serta Tolak Lumbung Ikan Nasional dan Sahkan RUU Penghapusan Kekerasan Seksual.
Sejumlah anggota Polresta Ambon yang mengawal aksi 1 Desember HUT OPM lalu meminta mahasiswa untuk membubarkan diri usai waktu yang diberikan telah habis.
Namun, demonstran menolak permintaan polisi soal menyudahi aksi tersebut. Mereka tetap menyuarakan aspirasinya. Kericuhan pun terjadi. Sejumlah polisi berpakaian preman menarik seorang massa aksi yang bukan warga Papua.
Massa lantas memberikan perlindungan terhadap rekan mereka. Di sisi lain, anggota kepolisian tetap berusaha menarik seseorang yang ikut demonstrasi tersebut.
Hingga kemudian, massa berhasil mengevakuasi rekan mereka ke dalam mobil angkutan umum. Namun, anggota kepolisian berpakaian bebas kembali menariknya.
Massa lalu berupaya menyelamatkan rekannya. Setelah ditarik keluar dari mobil angkutan umum, seorang yang menjadi incaran aparat lalu berlari menjauhi lokasi.
Ada beberapa orang yang memukulinya. Namun, kepolisian mengklaim warga yang melakukan pemukulan.
"Ada empat orang bukan warga Papua ikut aksi demo, tadi yang pukul itu warga," kata seorang intel dari Polsek Sirimau, Rabu (1/12).
Sejauh ini, massa berhasil mengamankan rekan mereka dari aparat kepolisian.
- Impact of Event
- 26
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Minority rights defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Nov 30, 2021
- Event Description
About 600 Kampong Speu residents resisting authorities’ clearing of community forests protested outside the provincial police headquarters on Tuesday after their representatives were summoned for questioning over alleged insult and property damage.
The dispute stems from authorities giving away 262 hectares of community forests to several members of the military, and moving in with heavy machinery in October to raze the land, according to families. The Udom Sre Kpos forestry area, also known as the Prey Metta Thommacheat community, originally covered more than 2,800 hectares, but the government gradually privatized most of it for companies and soldiers over 20 years, they said.
Soeng Sok, one of the family representatives summoned by police, said authorities were trying to scare them from protesting.
“People have been trying to protect the Udom Sre Kpos community forest for 10 to 20 years, and suddenly there are machines coming in without notice to clear it — no information from any side,” Sok said. “So our people, who are trying to protect it, must chase them out first. And when we chased them out, suddenly there was a summons from the police headquarters that we were destroying other people’s property and committing public insult.”
The people did not agree, he said. “Those who try to protect, those who try to preserve, become accused while the destroyer has no guilt.”
Khorn Khern, who joined the protest on Tuesday, said around 600 residents of two districts — Oral and Thpong — gathered outside the provincial police headquarters in support of seven summoned representatives. She named four of the representatives, aside from Sok, as Khorn Sarith, Soeng Sokhom, Lor Soly and Chhorn Thea.
“Our representatives did not do anything wrong and did not insult anyone. People came to support them, because when we went to protest, we all went together in the hundreds,” Khern said. “How come only five or six people were summoned? We did not do anything wrong. We just went to protest to protect the natural forest for future generations and protect the wildlife there. So we think that what we are doing is not wrong.”
The community forest land had been divided up for 41 military families, she said.
Kampong Speu provincial police chief Sam Samoun said authorities had summoned the seven residents after receiving a complaint, but the questioning was postponed. He declined to identify the plaintiff.
“If you want to know what the charges are, ask the people, do not let me speak about that, because the police must stand on justice. Whenever someone files a complaint, we have to accept the complaint and find out how to build a case for the court, so police’s duty is just that,” Samoun said.
Nhel Pheap, Koh Kong and Kampong Speu community coordinating officer for the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community, said the police summons was a threat, in line with similar measures that authorities have repeatedly brought against communities and activists.
“Doing this is unconstitutional. We know that our Constitution clearly states that every citizen has the right to protect their legitimate interests and the interests of all natural resources,” Pheap said.
In October, Kampong Speu provincial governor Vy Samnang told VOD that the land being cleared and given to military families was not in the community forest, and that protesters were an “opposition group” instigated by land speculators and civil society. Samnang at the time warned of legal action against the protesters and those who had incited them.
Elsewhere in the country, authorities are putting on a display of widespread crackdowns against individuals who have encroached on state forests around Tonle Sap lake after Prime Minister Hun Sen posted a searing audio message on Facebook on Sunday accusing officials of involvement in grabbing the flooded forest land.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 30, 2021
- Event Description
Soldiers arrested a prominent protest leader in the southeastern coastal town of Dawei on Tuesday along with three members of the family living in the house where he was hiding, according to a fellow anti-coup activist.
About 30 troops burst into the house at 6:30am and detained 22-year-old Htoo Myat Lwin, an organiser with the Coalition Strike Committee - Dawei. The soldiers also took Hla Pe, 50, along with his 28-year-old son Sai Ko Ko Tun and 18-year-old daughter La Pyae Pyae Tun.
“The house was raided while they were sleeping,” said a member of the strike committee, requesting anonymity. “We heard that they surrounded the house before arresting the victims. The neighbours said that they could hear people being beaten and cursing.”
“It was Htoo Myat Lwin that the military wanted but the hosts were also taken along with him,” he said, adding that a fifth person in the house, who suffers from a cognitive disability, was left behind by the soldiers.
Htoo Myat Lwin is a student at Dawei University. Soldiers found out about his whereabouts after arresting and interrogating nine members of the strike committee in recent days; Htoo Myat Lwin is the tenth member to be arrested since November 25.
“The majority of Htoo Myat Lwin’s friends are in detention now,” the activist said. “He was also called from the phone numbers of his friends who were detained and asked where he was.”
The soldiers took mobile phones, two computers, a motorcycle and books from the house. The strike committee member said the four detainees were taken to an interrogation center, but Myanmar Now was unable to verify this.
Dawei is a stronghold of the anti-coup movement in Tanintharyi Region, where the junta has raided the houses of several National League for Democracy officials. The military has deployed armed troops at security checkpoints across the township, according to locals.
The junta banned the use of motorbikes by two or men at the same time in Dawei and elsewhere in a bid to curb guerrilla forces’ hit-and-run attacks against soldiers. Locals said the ban is causing hardship to people who rely on the vehicles for their livelihoods.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Nov 26, 2021
- Event Description
Polisi mengamankan 30 orang dari Aliansi Gerakan Rakyat Tutup TPL pendemo di gedung Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (KLHK), Tanah Abang, Jakarta Pusat. Puluhan aktivis itu ditangkap usai mencoba menerobos masuk hingga memaksa bertemu menteri.
"Jadi mereka itu kan awalnya di luar pagar terus kemudian mereka nerabas masuk sampai ke lobi. Sampai mendekati pukul 18.00 WIB kita imbau untuk kembali, tapi mereka malah teriak bilang 'ya udah kita nginep di sini aja gimana caranya bisa ketemu ibu menteri'," kata Kapolsek Tanah Abang Kompol Haris Kurniawan saat dihubungi, Jumat (26/11).
Haris mengatakan awalnya demo tersebut berjalan kondusif. Namun, menjelang pukul 18.00 WIB, massa tetap bertahan meski telah diminta polisi membubarkan diri.
Menurut Haris, pihaknya kemudian mengamankan para demonstran di lokasi untuk mencegah massa bersikap anarkistis. Puluhan orang itu kemudian dibawa ke Polres Metro Jakarta Pusat.
"Makanya kita amankan sesuai ketentuan dan kita lakukan pendataan di polres," katanya.
Haris mengatakan, para demonstran tersebut mendemo KLHK menuntut soal pembebasan lahan yang saat ini dikuasai perusahaan pulp.
"Tuntutan mereka soal masalah pengembalian lahan yang sekarang dikuasai oleh perusahaan," katanya.
Dihubungi terpisah, Kasat Reskrim Polres Metro Jakarta Pusat Kompol Wisnu Wardhana mengatakan puluhan aktivis itu kini masih didata di polres. Namun, dia memastikan 30 orang yang sempat diamankan ini akan dipulangkan malam itu juga.
"Malam ini nanti akan kita pulangkan. Nanti kita berikan layanan kemanusiaan dulu kita kasih makan habis itu kita pulangkan malam ini juga," pungkas Wisnu.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Nov 25, 2021
- Event Description
The Citizens’ Network to Protect the Monarchy, the People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy and the Thai Raksa group have submitted a letter at Government House urging the Prime Minister, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, to check whether the international human rights NGO Amnesty International has damaged the security of the nation and monarchy.
On 25 November, a pro-monarchy group of 50 people were led by Noppadol Phrompasit and Anon Klinkaew to ask the PM to check Amnesty International (AI) Thailand’s operations and sources of finance.
The group was welcomed and admitted to Government House, unlike the network of musicians and entertainment workers who on 23 November were blocked by police from submitting a petition.
The group’s representatives said that AI’s Write for Rights campaign invites members around the globe to write to the Thai government asking for lèse majesté charges to be dropped against Panussaya Sitthijirawattanakul, one of the pro-democracy student activists. This, they claim, may be considered as interference in Thailand’s domestic affairs by a foreign entity and ignoring a Constitutional Court ruling.
This last charge refers to the Constitutional Court’s ruling on 11 November that found that calls for monarchy reform were unconstitutional.
The group urged that the government urgently look into AI’s activities. If evidence of domestic interference are found, AI must be expelled from the Kingdom.
Seksakol Atthawong, a former red shirt now assistant to the Prime Minister's Office came to receive the group’s letter. He said if he could not oust AI from Thailand, he would quit his post. He also said pressure to get rid of AI can be made via the law and people who are loyal to the monarchy.
On 23 November, in the face of pressure against them, AI Thailand posted “6 Facts that you may not know about Amnesty International” on Facebook, pointing out that it is a non-partisan, human rights NGO that receives no funds from any government. It is financed by donations and membership fees from human rights supporters. And its HQ is in London, not in the US.
AI set up an office in Thailand in 1996 and Amnesty International Thailand was registered as an association under Thai law in 2003. It faced a public backlash in 2018 when it campaigned publicly against the execution of a death row prisoner in the Kingdom. Death threats and threats of violence and rape were made online and at the AI office against staff and their family members.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to work
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 24, 2021
- Event Description
Karapatan today expressed disappointment over the Calamba City Regional Trial Court Branch 37’s denial of elderly human rights worker Nimfa Lanzanas’ omnibus motion to quash search warrants and suppress evidence in a resolution released on November 24, 2021.
Lanzanas, 61 years old, was among those arbitrarily arrested on March 7 this year in what has been dubbed as the “Bloody Sunday” raids of State forces in Southern Tagalog, where nine activists and indigenous farmers were killed and four including Lanzanas were arrested.
“It has been more than eight months since Lanzanas was arrested in the wee hours of the morning, in the presence of her young grandchildren. There is absolutely no truth to the statements of the police and military officers who alleged that she is part of a band of gun runners. She has been a paralegal of Karapatan Southern Tagalog since 2014 when her son Edward fell victim to almost the same kind of injustice that she faces now. We hope that the court will reconsider its decision and enable the release of Lanzanas, after months of being unjustly incarcerated,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
In her motion, Lanzanas stated that the place searched was not covered by the search warrants issued by Manila City 3rd Vice Executive Judge Jason Zapanta, and asserted the important defect in the warrant on the particularity of the place of search. Lanzanas also averred that police and their alleged informant stated deliberate falsehoods during the application for search warrants, showing inconsistencies in their statements. She also questioned how probable cause was not established during the application of search warrants.
Lanzanas and her family have stated that the alleged evidence found in their home were planted by the soldiers and cops who conducted the raid. “It is highly improbable that guns and explosives were stored in that small house with three small grandchildren of Lanzanas. There were several instances during the said raid when the State forces may have had the opportunity to plant these weapons,” Palabay said.
Karapatan reiterated their call for the release of all 709 political prisoners, including Lanzanas and the 57 other elderly political prisoners, all of them victims of the same modus of planted evidence and perjured testimonies.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Nov 23, 2021
- Event Description
A student at Prince of Songkla University’s Hat Yai campus has been arrested on a royal defamation charge while receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at the university’s vaccination centre.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that Supakorn Khunchit, a student from the Faculty of Economics, Prince of Songkla University, was arrested by a group of plainclothes police officers in the parking lot in front of the Songklanagarind Hospital’s sport complex after he went to receive his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Supakorn said that, at first, a man called out to him in the parking lot. He thought the man wanted to ask for some information, so he walked over, but was then surrounded by 3 – 4 other men who said they were police officers and presented a warrant issued by the Phatthalung Provincial Court on a royal defamation charge under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, a sedition charge under Section 116 of the Criminal Code, and a charge of entering into a computer system data which is an offense relating to national security under Section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act.
7 – 8 more plainclothes officers then came out of a vehicle and surrounded him. Supakorn said that he was shocked, and asked the officers for the opportunity to contact a lawyer and his friends. He was allowed to do so, but the officers did not allow him to wait on campus for his lawyer to arrive as they wanted to take him to a police station to record the arrest immediately.
Supakorn also asked the officers why an arrest warrant has been issued for him, since he had never received a summons, but the officers who arrested him said they did not know.
Supakorn was held overnight at Muang Phatthalung Police Station. A lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), along with Suthichai Ngamchuensuwan, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prince of Songkla University, went to meet him on Wednesday morning (24 November).
According to the inquiry officer, Supakorn was charged because he was allegedly part of a group of people who took pictures of various locations in Phatthalung and posted them on the Facebook pages ‘Free Phatthalung’ and ‘Democracy of Southern Thailand’ along with messages which the police claimed were insulting towards the King and the Queen and aimed to incite unrest among the people.
TLHR said that the inquiry officer did not specify which messages were the offending ones in the temporary detention request, but included them in the interrogation record. TLHR also noted that many of the messages, including “1 2 3 4 5 fuck you,” “Down with feudalism. Long live the ducks,” “The people own the country” do not correspond to the accusation.
The inquiry officer then took Supakorn to court for a temporary detention request. They were later granted bail using Suthichai’s academic position as security.
Supakorn said that he found the process of his arrest unacceptable, since he was arrested by a large group of officers even though he has never received a summons and he had just reported to the police on charges relating to another protest but did not receive an arrest warrant for this case. He was also held in the police station holding cell, which was in poor condition, and was not allowed visitors, since the officer claimed that his photograph would be taken and used to incite conflict, but other detainees were allowed visitors.
TLHR also said that an arrest warrant has also been issued for 2 other student activists on charges relating to the same incident, and that they would be reporting to the police on Friday (26 November).
According to TLHR, at least 160 people are facing royal defamation charges since November 2020. Several activists are also facing several counts of the charge, including Parit Chiwarak, who faces 22 counts, Anon Nampa, 14 counts, Panupong Jadnok, 9 counts, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, 9 counts, and Benja Apan, 6 counts.
Parit, Anon, Panupong, Panusaya, and Benja are detained pending trial on the royal defamation charges, along with activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Nov 23, 2021
- Event Description
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for the immediate release of Muhammad Asrul, a journalist in central Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province who has been sentenced to three months in prison in a defamation case which, under Indonesian law, should have been treated as a civil matter. The prosecution must drop the case and let him be acquitted on appeal, RSF says.
A reporter for the Berita News website who investigated alleged local corruption, Muhammad Asrul was convicted on 23 November by a court in the city of Palopo of criminal defamation under section 27.3 of the “Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik” Law (Electronic Information and Transactions Law) – usually referred to as the “ITE Law.”
He was convicted in connection with a three-part story in May 2019 about alleged embezzlement by local officials in three building projects – repairs to a hydro-electric dam, the revitalisation of the Palopo Pancasila industrial zone and construction of a bypass west of the city.
Acquittal on appeal
The complaint was brought by the Palopo mayor’s son, Farid Kisam Judas, who was named in the articles. He filed criminal charges on 17 December 2019 accusing Asrul of defamation and inciting hatred. The police arrested Asrul six weeks later, on 29 January 2020, without allowing him access to a lawyer, and he was held for 36 days, until Indonesia’s Press Council, known as the “Dewan Pers,” intervened and obtained his conditional release. But the local prosecutor’s office pursued its criminal investigation.
“Muhammad Asrul’s three-month prison sentence violates the basic principles of press freedom as proclaimed in the Republic of Indonesia’s fundamental laws,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk. “We call on the Palopo prosecutor’s office to immediately drop their unjustified case against this journalist so that he can be released and acquitted on appeal. He should never have been brought before a criminal court because this kind of complaint should be handled as a civil matter, as the ‘Dewan Pers’ has maintained.”
Civil jurisdiction denied
The Press Council, which issued a statement condemning the Palopo court’s decision, can itself act as mediator in a defamation complaint against a journalist by someone named in a media report. The Press Council’s competence in this case was nonetheless denied by the prosecutor’s office, which claimed that Berita News was not registered as a media outlet when Asrul’s articles were published and that this therefore justified treating the matter as a criminal case.
The ITE Law is often used by local officials in Indonesia to harass journalists whose reporting annoys them. Diananta Putra Sumedi, a local website editor in South Kalimantan province, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison under the ITE Law in 2020 for his coverage of the allegedly illegal seizure of land from an indigenous group by a huge palm oil company with accomplices within the local government. The Press Council’s role in this case was also overridden by the local prosecutor’s office, as RSF reported at the time.
Indonesia is ranked 113th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2021 World Press Freedom Index.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 22, 2021
- Event Description
Military and police forces raided a Catholic Church clinic in conflict-torn eastern Myanmar, arresting four doctors and 14 nurses they accused of helping groups resisting junta rule, sources said Tuesday.
Troops also forced 60 patients at the Mercy Clinic at the Christ the King Catholic Church in Loikaw, capital of eastern Myanmar’s Kayah state, to move to hospitals under military control, while some 40 pregnant women and other patients were trapped on church grounds for most of the day, the sources said.
Those arrested in Monday’s raid are being held at an interrogation center for questioning and are out of touch with their friends, one clinic worker told RFA on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation by authorities.
“The compound was closed and searches were made from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 in the afternoon,” the source said, adding that the clinic, its attached buildings, and the office of the clinic’s senior priest were all ransacked during the search.
“The four doctors were involved in charity work, and the rest were nurses and volunteers. They were all taken away yesterday for investigation and have not been released,” he said.
A Catholic priest and two nuns accompanied the medical workers who were taken away at gunpoint in three vehicles owned by the church, he and other sources said.
Another witness to the raid said that nuns left behind in the raid told him that soldiers had confiscated clinic registration books during their search. The doctors had already been taken away, he said.
“It was past 12 noon, and so I came out, but the whole compound had been closed down, and no one was allowed to enter or leave,” he said. “I heard later that the church’s priests and nuns had wept as the young staff and volunteers were taken away.”
Residents of the area said that Mercy Clinic had provided free treatment for people of all ethnic groups for more than 20 years, with the elderly and chronically ill among the majority of its patients.
Health workers involved in the nonviolent Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) resisting military rule in Myanmar had treated patients at the clinic for about five months, sources said.
Local residents believe that government troops may have suspected that People’s Defense Force (PDF) fighters were also being treated at the clinic, but a church official speaking on condition of anonymity said that the military had appeared only to target CDM health workers treating patients at the site.
Attempts to reach Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for Myanmar’s ruling State Administration Council, for comment were unsuccessful.
The director of Kayah state’s Karenni Human Rights Group said the military raid at Mercy Clinic had violated international law.
“It is very clear that raids on religious buildings and clinics are against international humanitarian laws, and arresting health workers is a violation of these regulations,” the rights group director named Banya said.
“The junta is violating the basic human right to life by raiding clinics that are providing public health services,” Banya said.
The ethnic Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) and the Health Ministry of Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) both condemned the military’s raid at Mercy Clinic in statements on Monday.
Military forces have detained a total of 174 people so far in Kayah state since the Feb. 1 coup that overthrew the National League for Democracy (NLD) civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, according to figures provided by the Progressive Karenni People’s Movement.
- Impact of Event
- 18
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to work
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 20, 2021
- Event Description
A high-school teacher who was arrested in southern Rakhine State’s Toungup Township early Saturday morning has not been heard from since, according to local residents.
Neighbours of Cherry Thet Shey say that plainclothes officers took the 40-year-old schoolteacher into custody at her home in Toungup’s Kanpai ward at around 9am on Saturday.
“We heard that she was being arrested, and when we went outside to check, we saw that she was already in a car,” said a local woman who witnessed the arrest.
Another resident of the area told Myanmar Now that the reason for the arrest was not clear, although it was known that Cherry Thet Shey had been taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against military rule since February.
“She joined the CDM soon after the coup. She had also resigned from her job at the state education department. But we still don’t know why she was arrested,” said the neighbour, noting that no charges had been filed against her at the local police station.
“If taking part in the CDM was the reason for her arrest, they would have taken her away a long time ago,” he added.
Other residents expressed concern about the teacher’s elderly mother and two teenaged sons, who all depend on her for care.
“There’s nothing we can do right now but worry about her. We don’t even know where to go to ask about her,” said one woman living near the family’s home.
“I really want justice to prevail. We’re also worried about her being tortured,” the woman added.
Although the reaction to the coup has been relatively muted in Rakhine State, a number of people in southern parts of the state have been arrested on suspicion of involvement with the anti-regime People’s Defence Force (PDF).
Sein Chit, a member of the Arakan Front Party, was arrested in Thandwe Township early last month for allegedly helping a local PDF group. Ye Naing Oo, a colleague who did charity work with Sein Chit, was arrested on the same charges later the same day.
About a week later, 23-year-old writer Min Dipar was taken into custody, also on suspicion of having PDF ties.
At least 10 local leaders of the ousted ruling party, the National League for Democracy, have also faced prosecution in the state on various charges. The party enjoys strong support in the state’s southern townships.
Earlier this month, two women and a teenaged girl were arrested in Thandwe Township and charged under the Counterterrorism Law after being accused of financing PDF operations.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Nov 18, 2021
- Event Description
On Thursday night (18 November), police from Thonglor Police Station raided a live painting event organized by the Cross-cultural Foundation (CrCF) at WTF Gallery & Cafe and ordered them to erase the painting claiming that it is “insulting.”
CrCF director Pornpen Khongkachonkiet said that the event took place between 18.00 – 19.00. After the event ended, two police officers came to the venue to inform them of a noise complaint, but she told them that the sound they used was not loud and that they were already about to leave.
Around 20 plainclothes and uniformed officers from Thonglor Police Station then arrived and blocked the entrance to the alleyway. Pornpen said their behaviour was intimidating and prevented participants from taking their motorcycles out of the alleyway. An officer then came to tell them to erase the painting on the wall and asked her to go talk to him about the event.
Pornpen said that the police did not tell them why the painting needed to be erased and did not charge them. She said that the wall belongs to a privately-owned building that is often used for art events, and that they will have to wait and see whether they will be charged, but she believes that the police see even art as sensitive.
A Facebook live broadcast by one of the participants who confronted the police showed the officers arriving at the venue and ordering those who still remained in the area to erase the messages written around the painting, claiming that they are “insulting.”
The event was part of CrCF’s Safe in Custody Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness about torture and inhuman treatment of detainees. During the event, artist Tawan Wattuya painted a portrait of young protesters arrested at a protest at the Din Daeng intersection while speaking about detainees’ experience. He also let other participants write messages around the painting.
The messages included “Fuck The King Kong” “Fuck The PoPo” “No God No K!-" "Only Humans” and “Royally Bestowed Bullet."
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to work
- HRD
- NGO
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 17, 2021
- Event Description
A teacher from Mandalay Region’s Thabeikkyin Township who had been taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) was arrested on Wednesday afternoon. Within hours, his family was notified that he had died at an interrogation centre.
Zaw Min Aung, 40, was a high school teacher participating in a general strike across Myanmar in accordance with the CDM, which aims to topple the junta that seized power in February’s military coup.
He was arrested from his home in Myintha village at around 11am by a large group of soldiers and policemen.
A local teacher told Myanmar Now that the victim’s family was notified at around 5pm by officials from the police station in the nearby village of Kyar Nyat that he had died.
“We were only told that he died during the interrogation. We don’t know the exact cause of his death. His body was all wrapped up with only his face exposed,” the teacher said, adding that Zaw Min Aung was reportedly cremated at the Kyar Nyat cemetery.
Another local said that it was likely that Zaw Min Aung was wrongly flagged by a military informant as being involved in the anti-coup movement beyond his participation in the CDM, and was subsequently targeted.
“He was a very honest and quiet person. He liked to help people, too. His only political action was taking part in the CDM. I think he was tipped off to the military by an informant,” the local man said.
Another Myintha resident, 30-year-old Moe Kyaw, was also arrested for shouting warnings to villagers that junta troops had arrived on Wednesday. He was later released from the Kyar Nyat police station, but was reportedly tortured during his interrogation, another villager told Myanmar now.
Of Zaw Min Aung, the latter villager said, “it saddens me a lot to see that a teacher from our village had to face such a fate.”
Myanmar Now tried to contact the Kyar Nyat police station in Thabeikkyin regarding the arrests and the teacher’s death, but all calls went unanswered.
Zaw Min Aung leaves behind a wife and two young sons.
Other teachers participating in the CDM have been recently targeted in Mandalay Region, arrested and killed in military custody.
Thein Zaw, a teacher from Kin village in Madaya Township, was accused of supporting the anti-coup People’s Defence Force and kidnapped by the military on October 6. He was forced to guide his captors to his home three days later, and was killed en route. His body was disposed of by the junta’s armed forces near the village cemetery.
Win Lwin, from Ywar Bo village in Sintgaing Township was also arrested on November 1 and died one day later in military custody.
Villagers in Leik San Khun in Amarapura Township tore up a notice posted on the junta’s local administration office, threatening teachers with death if they did not return to work.
Soldiers responded by carrying out a raid on a group of locals preparing for a wedding, and beating those present.
Thabeikkyin Township was once the site of mass demonstrations against military rule, but the protests waned after leaders were forced into hiding by the junta’s crackdowns.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 17, 2021
- Event Description
Alternative news Pinoy Weekly has been subjected to another wave of cyberattacks, leading to the shutdown their website for almost two days.
In a statement issued by its publisher Pinoy Media Center, the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks happened on Nov. 17 and 18, where at least 10 gigabytes of requests were made to their server. While the website is now back online, the Pinoy Media Center said they “fear it may again be subject to an attack in the next few hours and days.”
DDoS refers to the flooding of a website server until it becomes inaccessible to its readers. PMC’s Board of Trustees assailed this as a press freedom violation.
Among the stories that were published around the time of attacks were an editorial on the ongoing alliance between the son of the dictator’s namesake Marcos Jr. and the president’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, an in-depth report on price hikes, and a news analysis on the people’s agenda for the 2022 elections.
Back in 2018 and 2019, Pinoy Weekly was among those subjected to continuous DDoS attacks along with other alternative online news such as Altermidya, Bulatlat, and Kodao. Sweden-based digital rights advocacy group Qurium Foundation later traced the attacks to two Philippine IT firms.
This year, amid another round of cyberattacks, Qurium’s forensic investigation on the attacks against Bulatlat and Altermidya led them to the doors of the Philippine government, particularly the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Army.
“We condemn these attacks against alternative and independent media groups like Pinoy Weekly of Pinoy Media Center. We call on the public to join us in resisting attempts to muzzle our voices online, and make these attacks accountable to law and the people,” the PMC said.
Pinoy Weekly, like other alternative media outfits in the Philippines, has been red-tagged by the government’s anti-communist task force and the Philippine National Police.
“We warn those responsible for the cyberattacks that we will not be cowed by attempts to silence us. We will not be intimidated and will fight back with everything at our disposal. We will soon take legal and other actions to make them accountable,” they added.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Censorship, Online Attack and Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Media freedom, Freedom of expression Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Nov 16, 2021
- Event Description
Police in the coastal Vietnamese city of Danang summoned a former activist who runs a beef noodle stall for questioning Tuesday after he posted a video on social media in which he imitated a celebrity chef who had hand fed gold-coated beef to the country’s public security chief in a video that went viral this month.
The police came knocking six days after noodle vendor Bui Tuan Lam posted a video clip of himself on Facebook gyrating and spreading salt like Turkish celebrity chef and social media star known as Salt Bae, who served a pricey cut of beef to Vietnam’s top cop To Lam in early November.
Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, served a Golden Giant Tomahawk steak to To and his entourage in London, where they stopped after representing Vietnam at the United Nations climate change conference in Scotland.
A video of To’s party being fed the U.S. $1,975 piece of meat obtained by RFA’s Vietnamese Service went viral, prompting social media comments raising questions about the propriety of a Communist Party official on a monthly salary of roughly U.S. $660 eating such a luxury meal. Subsequent media reports noted the delegation had also visited the London grave of Karl Marx during the trip.
Bui, known as Peter Lam Bui among activists in Vietnam, used to be active in human rights and justice advocacy.
In his video clip, Bui calls himself “Onion Leaf Bae” after the signature move of the celebrity chef, who writhed dramatically as he sprinkled salt on To’s steak.
“This morning they came to my house — two officers from the city security agency, an officer in charge of my locality, and, of course, some plainclothes person doing filming outside,” Bui told RFA.
The reason for the summons was not clear and only said that it requested that Bui go to an office “to provide information about a criminal dealing for investigation work,” he said.
A video of the police visit recorded by Bui shows him asking officers for the reason for the summons, but he was not given one.
“I refused [to go] and said that if the reason was stated clearly in the order, I would work with them because in principle the order is related to a legal case, so it cannot be so general given that someone could be indicted based on what I said,” Bui said.
After listening to Bui’s explanation, the police officers threatened to forcefully escort him to their office, he said.
The video clip might not be primary reason for his most recent summons, Bui suggested, noting that he has received such notices in past months and ignored them.
But he added that his imitation of Salt Bae may have irritated police enough for them to follow up.
“For me, the clip’s impact, if any, is just that they are upset by having to deliver the summons,” he said. “They have had it in mind for a long time to summons me.”
Gökçe, 38, has opened 17 steak restaurants around the world, and videos of his meat-salting performances have been seen and shared by millions. When his London eatery opened in September, it was slammed for U.S. $34 desserts and U.S. $135 hamburgers in the British press, which ran features on stratospheric Salt Bae dinner tabs.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Surveillance
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Nov 15, 2021
- Event Description
Student activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul has been denied bail on a royal defamation charge relating to a protest on 20 December 2020, in which activists wore crop tops at Siam Paragon shopping mall to campaign for the repeal of the royal defamation law.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported on Monday (15 November) that Panusaya went to testify to the South Bangkok Criminal Court on the case, along with 4 other activists who were charged in the same case: Benja Apan, Parit Chiwarak, Panupong Jadnok, and Phawat Hiranphon. Two other activists were also charged, but since they are minors, their case is being heard separately.
The activists were charged with royal defamation under Section 112, after they walked around Siam Paragon in crop tops to campaign for the repeal of the royal defamation law and to make a statement that it is not illegal to wear a crop top, after a 16-year-old protester was charged with royal defamation for wearing a crop top to a protest and writing the message “My father’s name is Mana, not Vajiralongkorn” on his back.
Parit also wrote the message “Repeal Section 112” and “Reform the monarchy” on his arms, as well as “My mother doesn’t cheat” on his waist. Panusaya wrote “I only have one father” on her stomach. Benja wrote “My father’s name is not…” and “Are you insane?” on her stomach and waist, and walked behind Parit and Panusaya while carrying a handbag on a golden tray with pedestal.
Meanwhile, Phawat walked around with the group, bowing, saying 'Long live the King', and presenting flowers to Parit and Panusaya.
The public prosecutor claimed that their action mocked the King and that they intended to damage the King’s reputation and to cause people to lose their respect for him.
The complaint against them was filed by Acting Sub Lt Narin Sakcharoenchaikun, a member of the royalist group Thai Pakdee, which also filed a similar charge against Anon Nampa for his Facebook post of a letter to the King.
TLHR said that the 5 activists denied all charges, and noted that observers from the Embassies of Finland and Luxembourg were also present in the courtroom. The court then scheduled 2 more hearings on 26 November 2021 and 24 January 2022.
Since Panusaya was not brought to court when the public prosecutor indicted her on 29 June 2020, she has to file a bail request using a 200,000-baht security, which is covered by the Will of the People Fund, a bail fund for people facing charges for political expression.
However, the court denied her bail on the grounds that she has committed similar offenses, and is likely to repeat her offense if released. The order was signed by judge Santi Chukitsappaisan, Research Justice of the Supreme Court, temporarily acting as the Deputy Chief Justice of the South Bangkok Criminal Court.
Panusaya is detained at the Central Women Correctional Institution. This is the second time this year that she has been detained pending trial on a charge relating to pro-democracy protests, after she was previously detained for 60 days on charges relating to the 19 – 20 September 2020 protest before being released on 6 May 2021.
According to TLHR, 25 people are detained pending trial on charges relating to their participation in pro-democracy protests, 6 of them on royal defamation charges: Parit Chiwarak, Jatupat Boonpattaraksa, Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok, Benja Apan, and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 15, 2021
- Event Description
Troops on Monday raided the office of a Mandalay-based charity helping people displaced by violence and arrested its chairwoman on accusations that she had been supporting the People’s Defence Force (PDF) in its fight against the junta.
Nwe Nwe Win, 43, was taken in the evening by 10 plainclothes soldiers from the Shwe Mahar Nwe social welfare group’s office on 25th street, in the city’s Aungmyay Thazan Township.
She is reportedly being questioned at the interrogation center inside Mandalay Palace and has also been accused of supporting striking workers involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
“They accused her of financially supporting staff members taking part in the CDM, as well as the PDFs,” said a source close to the charity who wanted to remain anonymous. “They ransacked the entire office and even broke open packages of donations to the orphanage and IDP camps.”
Shwe Mahar Nwe was founded in 2014 and also organises blood donation drives, a spokesperson for the group told Myanmar Now. “We were only accepting clothes donations for IDPs as winter is coming, but they accused us of something else entirely,” he said.
Hours after Nwe Nwe Win was arrested, soldiers returned to the office in search of two other team members but were unable to find them, added the spokesperson.
On October 6 a teacher named Thein Zaw, from the village of Kin in Madaya Township, was accused of financially supporting the PDF and arrested.
He was killed three days later while travelling to his home with the soldiers, who appear to have forced him to show them where he lived, according to two local sources.
Also in October, a local philanthropist and restaurant owner from Pyin Oo Lwin Township named Po Pyae Thu was accused of supporting the CDM and the PDF and was arrested, a source close to her family said.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, NGO, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Nov 14, 2021
- Event Description
A man was shot in the chest during a rally against a Constitutional Court ruling after key protest leaders were accused of trying to bring down the constitutional monarchy.
The man was shot in front of the Forensic Medicine Institute of Police General Hospital at 5.12pm and was rushed out of the area for treatment, following several gunshot sounds.
The protest was staged at Democracy Monument at 3pm and led by the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, the Thalu Fah Group, the Democracy Restoration Group, the Ratsadon movement, and the Coalition of Salaya for Democracy, Supporter Thailand, We Volunteer and Campaigning for a People's Constitution groups.
Afterwards, the rally moved on to Pathumwan intersection. Marchers had also intended to visit the German embassy in Sathon district to submit a petition to reform the highest institution.
However, police had already blocked the lanes in and out of Pathumwan intersection.
Protesters then blocked more traffic while giving speeches.
The group also held aloft nine straw effigies dressed in black to represent the judicial officials who ruled that Arnon Nampa, Panupong "Mike" Jadnok and Panusaya "Rung" Sithijirawattanakul aimed to bring down the constitutional monarchy.
The court had ordered them to cease all actions deemed threatening to the democratic system with the King as head of state. They burned the effigies at the intersection.
The protesters claimed that the Constitutional Court's ruling is bringing the country back to an absolute monarchy and they were opposing it.
At 6.20pm, protesters reached the German embassy to submit a statement opposing the court ruling.
Three representatives were allowed into the embassy premises to hand in the statement.
It was the second rally outside the embassy, following a demonstration on Oct 26 last year that led to the indictment of 13 leaders on lese majeste and other charges.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 14, 2021
- Event Description
A long-time women and child rights advocate was arrested in her Bulacan home on Sunday, Nov. 14, over a rebellion case filed back in 2005.
Ma. Salome Crisistomo Ujano, 64, national coordinator of Philippine Against Child Trafficking (PACT), was presented with a warrant of arrest and was brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Referring to Ujano as one of the country’s “topmost wanted persons,” the Bulacan police said the arrest warrant was issued by a Lucena court on June 28, 2006, with no bail recommendations.
“The case is baseless as she was actively involved as executive director of Women’s Crisis Center back in 2005. She never heard of this case before,” her daughter Karla wrote on Facebook.
Ujano was with the Women’s Crisis Center from 1990 to 2007, of which she served as its executive director from 2000 to 2006.
In a statement, House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas condemned the arrest, adding that it happened in November where activities are slated in commemoration of Children’s Month.
“Her arrest points to the absurdity of the PNP’s operations against perceived enemies of the state. It is perhaps the first arrest of a women and children’s rights advocate under the new PNP chief Dionardo Carlos,” she said.
Her colleagues, on the other hand, refuted police claims that she was in hiding for the past 15 years as Ujano has been attending public events as a child rights advocate, including gatherings that were organized in relation to the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Here she talked about how government agencies can better protect children and women from human trafficking.
This 2019 gathering, too, dubbed as “Ako Para sa Bata,” was attended by ranking government officials.
Relatives and colleagues of Ujano called for her immediate release and the dropping of baseless charges against her.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 12, 2021
- Event Description
A man who was detained when soldiers were unable to find his nephew during a raid in Mandalay Region last week died in junta custody within hours, with his body showing signs of severe injury when his family went to collect it.
Ye Aung, 33, was taken from home to the village of Kyauktada, Madaya Township, on Friday afternoon when troops arrived searching for his 24-year-old nephew, who is a protest organiser in the village.
The family has said they do not want to disclose the name of the protest leader, who has been in hiding for several months. Soldiers also took the protest leader’s 48-year-old father, Myint Aung, who has not been heard from since.
“They both were taken at around 4pm and Ye Aung's family was notified the next morning that he had died,” a Kyauktada villager told Myanmar Now. “I heard he was sent to the interrogation center. The family had to go there to take his body back home.”
Ye Aung’s body showed signs that he had been badly beaten in custody; he had numerous injuries on his head, said the villager. Ye Aung left behind his baby and his wife, who had given birth just a few days before he was detained.
Neither of the two men who were taken took part in the underground movement against the dictatorship, the villager said.
Soldiers destroyed furniture and took computers, mobile phones and money from the house while arresting Ye Aung, locals said.
Myint Naing’s family are reportedly in fear for his life as they heard that he was also sent to the interrogation center.
Locals from Mattaya said that the military has conducted frequent raids on villages within the township since early November and arrested several teachers taking part in the Civil DIsobedience Movement (CDM).
Local resistance forces in the township have launched ambushes against military units.
On Friday a bomb exploded at a security checkpoint on the road leading into the township, killing a military captain, a private, and three police officers, said local news reports and the Madaya People's Defence Force (PDF).
Then on Saturday soldiers arrested a married couple, both teachers, who were taking part in the CDM. The couple were beaten at their home before being taken away to an undisclosed location.
“I think teachers have become their favourite targets lately. We still haven’t heard anything about the teacher couple,” said a Madaya local.
In early October 35-year-old Thein Zaw was detained by junta forces in Madaya and his body was found near his village three days later.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping, Death, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to life
- HRD
- Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Nov 11, 2021
- Event Description
In 2020, residents of Suka Mukti village in southern Sumatra paid 10 million rupiah each, about $700, to a government agency to obtain titles to their land — a process that is officially supposed to be free. This year, the same agency declared the certificates illegal because, it says, the land falls inside a concession held by a palm oil company.
The fiasco has shone a light on the corruption and opacity that cloud the land-titling process in Indonesia, and the role of a “land mafia” in keeping it that way to serve the interests of big businesses.
“According to the regulations, land certificates are free,” says Roni Septian, head of advocacy at the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA), an NGO. “From that alone, we can see how corrupt the practices of the land agency are. That’s concrete evidence of how sophisticated the land mafia is.”
He adds the Suka Mukti case is just the tip of the iceberg, with the land mafia operating throughout Indonesia.
“Millions of farmers have had their lands robbed from them because the government manipulated data,” he says. Land titles taken away — twice
The village of Suka Mukti, in Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI) district, South Sumatra province, was established by settlers from Java in 1981. They were part of the national government’s “transmigration” program, which aimed to entice people away from densely populated Java by offering them land in other parts of the archipelago.
From 1983-1985, the local government issued land ownership decrees for the 450 Suka Mukti families, but in 1991, the village chief rescinded the decrees for 191 of those families. The reason given was that their lands would be upgraded to “plasma” plantations, which meant they’d be cultivating oil palms and selling the crop to a palm oil company, essentially ensuring them a guaranteed buyer and price.
But the village head instead sold the land to various third parties, including palm oil company PT Treekreasi Marga Mulya (TMM).
Since then, the villagers fought to reclaim their land, and in 2019 applied to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to carry out an assessment to determine whether they qualified to seek titles to the land. The assessment concluded that the lands didn’t overlap with any existing concessions, so the villagers duly applied for land certificates to the South Sumatra land agency in 2020.
In March that year, they finally obtained their certificates from the agency. But while the process is supposed to be free of charge, the villagers say they had to pay 10 million rupiah per certificate, for the 36 certificates issued.
Now, those certificates are gone. In June 2020, a signboard went up on the land declaring that TMM held the concession to the area, and listing the number for a right-to-cultivate permit, or HGU — the last in a series of licenses that oil palm companies must obtain before being allowed to start planting.
This year, in move reminiscent of how the villagers lost their ownership decrees the first time around, a land agency official visited the village and asked for the certificates back so that they could be “secured.”
“As a layman, I knew nothing,” says Abu, one of the villagers. “So we handed over our certificates.”
On July 9, the South Sumatra land agency sent the villagers a letter telling them their certificates had been revoked: their lands overlapped with TMM’s concession, and the company had obtained its HGU permit back in 1997, trumping the villagers’ 2020 title deeds. Maladministration
The agency’s flip-flop has raised a host of questions for the villagers and others scrutinizing the case, primarily over why it issued the certificates in the first place if the land was already part of an existing concession.
“When we came to the local land agency, they said there’s no HGU and thus the agency was ready to issue the land certificates [for us],” Abu said.
Pius Situmorang, a lawyer representing the villagers, says there’s a suspicion that TMM doesn’t actually have an HGU permit for the land in question. He notes that a sign on the same plot of land claims it’s owned by one Shodiq (likely the OKI deputy district head, Dja’far Shodiq, according to Pius). He adds another part of the contested area was recently acquired by the government for a planned toll road running through the area, and for which the government has paid compensation to some of the villagers.
“There’s no way there’s an HGU permit for that land if there’s already a plasma plantation there owned by an individual, and land procurement done by the state, in which the compensation money was paid out,” Pius says.
Julius Ibrani, secretary-general of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), says the land agency’s issuance and swift revocation of the villagers’ certificates points to gross negligence within the bureaucracy.
“Even if we ignore [the allegations about the land mafia], there’s still maladministration perpetrated not by the locals, but by the government,” he says.
This then raises the question of whether there will be any consequences for the maladministration, says Sandrayati Moniaga, a member of the National Commission on Human Rights.
“Are there any sanctions for the officials involved? If there are, does it mean [the villagers] will be compensated for the revocation of their land certificates?” she says.
Officials from the National Land Agency, to which the provincial land agency reports, have promised to carry out an investigation of the Suka Mukti case. ‘Make, manipulate and falsify’
The HGU permit ascribed to TMM has also raised questions, including over whether it even exists.
Pius, the Suka Mukti villagers’ lawyer, notes that three different permit numbers have been cited. In the land agency’s letter informing the villagers their certificates had been revoked, it gave the HGU number as 45. But the number on the signboard erected on the land after the villagers had obtained the permit is 11. And the number in a document sent by TMM to the villagers lists the permit number as 1.
“There’s clearly a scheme to blur the numbers of the permit,” Pius says. “What’s clear is that there are differing numbers of permit. This is proof that there’s no transparency from the land agency, resulting in this mess.”
Roni from the KPA says TMM’s HGU permit wasn’t registered in the land agency’s information system.
“So it’s very easy for the land agency to make, manipulate and falsify HGU permits that result in the loss of people’s rights over their lands,” he says.
The South Sumatra land agency has failed to explain the differing numbers. Firdaus, the director of land conflict at the National Land Agency, said that based on information gathered by the national government, the HGU permit owned by TMM was originally numbered 1, before it was changed to 45.
The National Land Agency has itself come under fire for refusing to make HGU data public — in flagrant and continued violation of a 2017 Supreme Court ruling ordering it to do so.
Each HGU permit includes details such as land boundaries, coordinates, and the size of the concession, as well as the leaseholder’s name.
In 2015, the NGO Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) sued the National Land Agency to release the data. In 2017, the Supreme Court declared that HGU documents are public information and ordered the agency to make them publicly available. The decision was upheld on appeal in March 2021, yet the agency continues to hold out. It says it has discussed the matter with the office of the chief economics minister (who holds zero sway on judicial matters) and come to the conclusion that HGU data cannot be shared with the public because of the need to protect national interests.
Rights commissioner Sandrayati says cases like Suka Mukti could be prevented if the National Land Agency just does what the court ruled.
“The Supreme Court has already ruled that the [HGU] document is a public document,” she says. “So where’s the exact location of the [TMM] HGU? [Reveal it] so that we don’t have to debate endlessly.” Pro-investment mafia
A more transparent land-titling process would have prevented the palm oil company from claiming the land in the first place, Sandrayati says.
As part of the government’s transmigration program, the Suka Mukti villagers were not informal settlers; they would have arrived in 1981 with all the necessary documents ready, giving TMM no chance of obtaining an HGU in 1997.
Yet somehow, the land ownership decrees issued by the local government from 1983-1985 weren’t registered by the national government — and hence wouldn’t have been flagged in any application for an HGU permit for that particular area.
Sandrayati says that if those decrees had maps attached with them, the villagers could use them to reinforce their claim to the land.
“If not, then it’s going to be difficult to know where the overlaps [between the villagers’ lands and the concession] are without having the coordinates,” she says.
Roni of the KPA says this opacity in the process provide a space for the land mafia to operate, and that they’ve been by the government’s pro-investor policies, which include making it easy for companies to secure land — in many cases land that’s already occupied by local or Indigenous communities.
“President Joko Widodo [recently] said he would sack police chiefs who are not pro-investment,” Roni says. “So it’s the government itself that encourages the practice of the land mafia. These land mafia are protected by security personnel and the police because they’ve been ordered [by the president] to secure investments.”
The head of the National Land Agency, Sofyan Djalil, recently said at least 125 officials in his agency were believed to have been part of this land mafia since 2016. Some of these officials face criminal investigations; the rest have been slapped with administrative sanctions or simply moved to other positions. ‘Intimidation, terror, criminalization’
For the Suka Mukti villagers, the ordeal continues. Deprived of the titles to their land, they have since Oct. 29 occupied the disputed land in protest, and say they now face pressure from the police.
“There’s been a lot of efforts to intimidate us,” says Syahrul, a villager. “The Ogan Komering Ilir police have been safeguarding the company in its harvesting activities.”
The villagers have been reported to the police by TMM and the Suka Mukti village chief, Sutamar, who accuses some of them of falsifying his signature on documents needed to obtain their land certificates. TMM’s complaint to the police, meanwhile, is about the villagers’ occupation of the contested land.
On Nov. 11, four police officers came to the home of one of the villagers and demanded to see his land certificate, without producing a warrant. On Nov. 20, police summoned some of the villagers for questioning about how they were able to obtain the land certificates from the local land agency in 2020.
Prior to the questioning, a local police officer reportedly told some of the locals not to get involved in the conflict because any holders of land certificates would be arrested.
All these allegations, if true, constitute attempts to criminalize the villagers and silence them, another tactic of the land mafia, according to Gina Sabrina, a project manager with the PBHI, the legal aid association.
“There is intimidation, terror, physical occupation of land such as erecting boards, and efforts to criminalize [the villagers],” she says.
At the same time, TMM is harvesting palm fruit on the contested land in violation of an agreement made with villagers for both sides to not carry out any activities in the area, Syahrul says.
Barita Uli Lumbantobing, a lawyer for TMM, said the villagers don’t have a legitimate claim to the land and reiterated that the company obtained its HGU permit in 1997. He added that the villagers’ occupation of the land had disrupted TMM’s operations. 30 years disenfranchised
Sandrayati, the right commissioner, says all parties should refrain from doing anything that could further inflame the dispute.
“The National Land Agency has to declare that there’s a conflict [in the contested land] and they [the company] must therefore stop its activities first in order to create peace there,” she says. “The villagers also have to be calm first to cool the situation down. The National Land Agency can ask the police to create order and peace, and to not side with a particular party. We need to ensure the police are truly neutral here.”
Abu, the villager, echoed the call for not aggravating the tensions and for the police to not take sides.
“Don’t disturb the villagers who are at the location. The police have to be neutral, don’t side with the party that has money,” he says.
He says the government should work to resolve the conflict as soon as possible, given that the villagers’ lack of formal land ownership has now lasted for more than 30 years.
“We’ve been a victim for 30 years, yet we really want to cultivate our own lands,” Abu says. “I ask the president to solve our conflict with the company and the land mafia. Don’t let us, the common people, be victims of the land mafia. If this persists, our country will be destroyed. When will we be free of [the land mafia]?”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Nov 10, 2021
- Event Description
Environmental activist Chhorn Phalla was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the Ratanakiri Provincial Court on Wednesday for illegally clearing forests.
Phalla, a long-time activist, previously raised allegations that local officials were encroaching on community forests and that they beat him. Officials then filed a court complaint that Phalla was “causing trouble” at a public forum.
He was arrested on September 20 after being called into the police station to update the address on his identification card. The arrest was based on a February arrest warrant that said he was accused of clearing forests in Lumphat district in 2019 and 2020.
On Wednesday, Keo Pheakdey, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, said Phalla had been sentenced by judge Chan Seiha to five years in jail under Article 62 of the Protected Areas Law.
Phalla was specifically found guilty of “clearing, encroaching, burning or clearing forest” to claim ownership, he said.
The crime is considered “fourth grade” and is punishable by five to 10 years in jail.
“He has the right to appeal according to the law,” Pheakdey said.
Phalla’s defense lawyer Sam Titseyha said the conviction was an injustice.
“It is very unfair for my client, because Chhorn Phalla is an activist helping to protect the forests, forestry land and the community, which is in the common interest,” he said. “He has been charged, while the loggers have been acquitted.”
Titseyha added that he was preparing to appeal.
“I have already prepared an application to file a complaint to the Court of Appeal,” he said. “For now, I am just waiting for what the Court of Appeal will do next.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Cambodia: environmental defender arrested
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Nov 10, 2021
- Event Description
On 10 November, the Constitutional Court ruled that the calls for monarchy reform and monarchy-related activities organized by Anon Nampa, Panussaya Sitthijirawattanakul, Panupong Jadnok and associated organizations were, are and will be abuse of constitutional rights and liberties as they are intended to ‘overthrow’ the democratic form of government with the King as Head of State.
The complaint was filed by lawyer Natthaporn Toprayoon, who accused 8 activists who spoke at the 3 August and 10 August 2020 demonstrations of attempting to overthrow the “democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State,” as stated in Section 49 of the 2017 Constitution.
The Court ruled that Anon's speech and Panussaya's statement at the 10 August 2020 protest, and their participation in the protests afterward and other symbolic actions have the hidden intention of overthrowing the regime, which would cause public disorder and unrest in society.
Activities cited by the Court are part of Anon’s speech at the 10 August protest and the full statement read by Panussaya at the same event, which the Court recounted in full, and symbolic actions at many protests such as burning the King’s portrait and removing the blue stripe representing the monarchy from the Thai national flag.
The Court stated that the people’s constitutional rights and liberties come with the responsibility to protect the democratic regime with the monarch as its head. The word ‘overthrow’ can be inferred from actions that cause a serious threat to the constitution and regime in a decisive and irreversible manner that completely obliterates them.
The ruling continued by saying that exercising rights and liberties in public to call for a constitutional amendment regarding the status of the monarch or amendment of Section 112 of the Criminal Code (the royal defamation law) will diminish the respected status of the monarchy, which leads to unrest that affects public order and morality when people follow these practices.
The monarchy has existed and been cherished by the Thai people as an essential institution in governing and leading the armed forces in Thailand since the days of Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and the current Rattanakosin era, despite changes of regime, ruled the Court.
Thus, the actions of Anon, Panussaya and Panupong constitute an abuse of rights and liberties in order to overthrow the democratic form of government with the King as Head of State and the Court ordered that they and their network organizations stop such actions in the future.
Upon hearing the Court’s comment, the supporters of the pro-democracy activists in the front of the Court reacted with fury. Papers were scattered and a mock-up of the democracy monument was burned before the group dispersed. Landmark case to the reform movement
The Court’s decision raises questions over the direction and legal risks of the pro-democracy movement which has been calling for political and monarchy reform since its sudden surge in July 2020.
After the judgement was made, Yingcheep Atchanont, manager of iLaw, a legal watchdog NGO, told Prachatai that it is still unclear about what counts as prohibited actions and the network organizations of Anon, Panussaya and Panupong.
Yingcheep said the judgement may be used by those who hold the movement in contempt to prevent po-democracy activities. It would also be unthinkable for the protest organizers not to hold protests against the ruling. Because of these uncertainties, this ruling will exacerbate tensions within society.
In an interview with the STANDARD, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, a former law academic and secretary-general of the Progressive Movement, said the ruling affects Thai society in 3 ways.
Firstly, the ruling’s broad interpretation of the law has closed the door for those who want to reform the monarchy.
Secondly, the ruling prohibits many acts, both those which have been done and those not done. This will allow those who oppose proposals for monarchy reform to flood the courts with petitions similar to the one today. Civil society organizations and political parties that rally for the amendment or abolition of the royal defamation law might be affected by this.
Thirdly, this order to gag people will not bring about reconciliation between those who think differently. It will exacerbate tensions between the old and the new generations who have different ideas about the monarchy.
“If you don’t want to enter the red zone, then don’t do it. Don’t speak. Don’t touch. Don’t do anything. Then, you will be in the safe zone. Your party won’t be disbanded. Your MPs can stay. Criminal charges won’t touch you. In public rallies, you mustn’t speak about this. Just talk about ousting Prayut. Don’t speak about these [monarchy] issues and you will be safe.”
Thalufah, a protest group, published a statement after the ruling, saying that Thai and global citizens should not accept the ruling. Criticism of individuals under the same constitution are constitutional.
“We insist and affirm that, according to the constitution, “Thailand is ruled by a democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State,” and in fact the monarch is only the “Head of State” [and] should not establish himself as a “regime of government” in this way.
“For the Constitutional Court to rule in this way is tantamount to their admitting that this country is governed by an absolute monarchy, not a democracy as is written in the constitution! And today’s ruling is a distortion of ‘what is written in the constitution’,” read the statement. No testimony from the accused
The complaint was originally filed against Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Parit Chiwarak, Jutatip Sirikhan, Siripatchara Jungthirapanich, Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, and Atittaya Pornprom. The Court later accepted the complaint against Anon, Panusaya, and Panupong, but dismissed the complaint against the remaining 5 activists.
The Court decided that only Anon, Panussaya and Panupong were involved in the 3 August and 10 August 2020 actions stated in the petition.
Natthaporn, a staunch royalist, is a former advisor to the Chief Ombudsman and has previously acted as a lawyer for the PAD, the Thai Patriots Network and other right-wing groups. In June 2019, he filed a similar complaint against the now-dissolved Future Forward Party (FFP), claiming that the party was linked to the Illuminati, a fictitious secret organization believed by conspiracy theorists to be seeking world domination. The Constitutional Court ruled to acquit the party in January 2020, citing insufficient evidence.
A similar complaint was also filed on 2 September 2020 by former Palang Pracharath Party MP candidate Sonthiya Sawasdee, who accused activists and protesters participating in the 18 July and 10 August 2020 demonstrations of attempting to “use their rights or liberties to overthrow the democratic regime with the monarch as Head of State.”
The Constitutional Court later ordered him to provide more evidence before deciding whether to accept the complaint. Sonthiya then submitted an addendum to the complaint on 28 September 2020 specifying that his complaint is against Parit, Panusaya, Anon, and Panupong, and adding information about the 19-20 September 2020 protests at Sanam Luang. Nevertheless, the Court dismissed the complaint, citing insufficient evidence.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) stated that, despite a request by lawyers for the three activists for them to be summoned for an inquiry along with several other witnesses to give them the opportunity to defend themselves, the ruling was made without examining witnesses and based only on the complaint itself, the objection to the complaint, and documents that the Court requested from the Office of the Attorney General, Khlong Luang Police Station, the Royal Thai Police, the National Security Office, the National Intelligence Agency, and Thammasat University.
The Court then ordered the inquiry concluded, claiming that it has enough evidence to issue a ruling.
TLHR also said that, in addition to the three activists themselves, they had requested that several academics be summoned as witnesses. They had planned to summon historians Nithi Eoseewong and Charnvit Kasetsiri to testify on Thai political history, and legal scholar Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang to argue that the activists’ actions do not qualify as using their rights and liberties to overthrow the democratic regime with the monarch as Head of State.
They also planned to summon writer Sulak Sivarak to speak about the role of the monarchy in Thai politics and President of the 1997 Constitution Drafting Assembly Uthai Pimchaichon to speak on the intention of Section 49 of the Thai Constitution, which is modelled after the same section in the 1997 Constitution.
None of the aforementioned witnesses were given a chance to testify.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Nov 9, 2021
- Event Description
Two Greenpeace activists in Indonesia were reported to the police over their supposedly unfounded criticism of deforestation happening under the government’s watch.
The activists, Greenpeace Indonesia Head Leonard Simanjuntak and Indonesia Forest Campaign Head Kiki Taufik, were accused of spreading fake news and violating Indonesia’s Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE) for debunking President Joko Widodo’s deforestation claim.
At the COP26 summit in Glasgow earlier this month, Jokowi said deforestation in Indonesia has declined in recent years. Greenpeace Indonesia later challenged the president’s claim and called it “nonsense,” citing Forestry Ministry data that showed deforestation rising from 2.45 million hectares between 2003 and 2011 to 4.8 million hectares between 2011 and 2019.
The Committee for the Eradication of Mafia of Law Secretary General Husin Shahab took issue with Greenpeace’s criticism.
“Criticize if it’s based on truth. If not, then that’s fake news,” Husin said yesterday of his decision to file the police report against Leonard and Kiki.
The police have not issued any statements on whether or not they will process the complaint.
Husin reportedly registered to run for a legislative seat in East Java in 2019 with the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), which is now part of the government’s coalition of parties. Husin, however, was reportedly dismissed from the party in 2018 for being involved in a polygamous marriage.
Greenpeace Indonesia maintains that its criticism of Jokowi’s claim was based on factual data.
“We will face this complaint, even though we are in the middle of a climate crisis that requires real action from the government,” Greenpeace Indonesia campaigner Asep Komarudin said.
Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Asep Komarudin said his side is ready to face a police report filed by the Cyber Indonesia forum for criticizing President Joko Widodo or Jokowi's speech about deforestation.
“We’ve heard about this report from our media partners, and there has been no call from the police. We will deal with this, even though we are now focusing on the climate crisis which requires concrete action from the government,” Asep told Tempo on Monday, November 15.
Leaders of Greenpeace Indonesia, Leonard Simanjuntak and Kiki Taufik, were reported to Jakarta Metro Police after criticizing the President's speech on deforestation at the World Leaders Summit at the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.
Both were reported for criminal acts under the Electronic Information and Transactions or ITE Law. Chairman of Cyber Indonesia Husin Shahab assessed that the environment watchdog submitted false and misleading data on deforestation.
In response to the report, Asep said that Greenpeace is ready to compete with data to prove the data validity. “Greenpeace uses valid, accurate data to the public. We are also ready to have an open debate with the Environment and Forestry Ministry regarding how we analyze it scientifically and intellectually,” he said.
According to Asep, making such a police report might destroy the democratic climate. Criticism of the government should not be responded to by a police report but an open dialogue or debate.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO staff
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Nov 8, 2021
- Event Description
Two journalists in Kampot were arrested as residents protested for the release of their family members amid allegations that police had detained a 4-year-old child.
According to a provincial police report from Tuesday, four suspects were arrested on Sunday in Chhuk district’s Trapeang Phlaing commune for violence against the owner of a property and incitement, calling it a red-handed crime.
The following day, residents protested outside the provincial hall demanding the four residents’ release.
A live video report by Los Seng News said the residents did not understand the arrests, and wanted the newly appointed provincial governor — who has held public forums vowing to solve people’s disputes — to step in.
“Please, provincial governor, find justice for me. … Please help us,” one interviewed woman said in the video amid rain. The woman, Ken Phon, alleged that the four taken to the provincial police headquarters were Dy Chroeun, Meas Khchai, Tuy Taing, and Taing’s 4-year-old son.
The Los Seng News reporter reiterates in the video that the residents were concerned for the child.
Licadho provincial coordinator Pen Vuthea said Tuesday night that he understood that a child was in custody alongside his mother, and they were being kept separate from the others.
Commune police chief Haem Kny would not answer repeated questions about whether there was a child in detention.
District and provincial police and the provincial governor could not be reached on Tuesday to clarify the claim.
The police report says two journalists from Los Seng News, Ing Thoeun, 27, and Say Sophea, 24, were arrested after they “came to report in front of the provincial administration, criticizing the competent local authorities without communicating with authorities to ask about the arrests of the four on November 7, causing people to misunderstand and become enemies of the competent local authorities.”
The two journalists are accused of incitement to disturb social security and malicious denunciation, the report says.
Los Seng, publisher of Los Seng News, said he had reached out to provincial governor Mao Thonin about the arrests but the governor had not been receptive.
“They are just reporters and covered the news,” Seng said. “They broadcast based on people’s interviews.”
“It is in [the interviewees’] hands, so they can make any accusation that they want to, but we need to look into live [broadcasts] — whether it is suitable for an accusation of incitement or not.”
He said the authorities could correct reporters’ information and should not arrest them like criminals.
“When any report is a crime, where is the freedom of the journalist? They could use the Press Law, but instead they use their power against the journalist,” Seng said. “Their action is to break the spirit of the journalist from daring to cover news in Kampot province.”
Los Seng said in July he was pressured to stop reporting on a contentious land dispute involving the new Phnom Penh International Airport, with the Kandal Stung district governor claiming the news outlet did not have permission to make live broadcasts about the dispute.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Nov 8, 2021
- Event Description
Villagers in a commune in north-central Vietnam are pushing back hard against a developer’s plans to build a cemetery and crematorium near their homes, saying they fear pollution and have not been consulted on the project, RFA has learned.
Residents of the Hung Tay commune in Nghe An province’s Hung Nguyen district posted a Facebook video on Monday showing police officers violently dispersing villagers who had gathered to protest at the entrance to the site.
The cemetery project at Dai Hue mountain is located uphill and only 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) from the nearest residential area, and villagers had already put up tents at the cemetery’s entrance to stop construction work from moving ahead, local sources said.
“The distance from the project’s fences to where we live is not great enough and it isn’t safe,” one resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This will affect our lives, and especially our sources of water and wind,” he said.
Though developers say that area residents have already consented to the project, no papers exist to document their agreement, RFA’s source said. “We never signed anything saying we had been consulted, and without this document, the provincial government should never have approved this project.”
Claims by developers that VND 40 billion (U.S. $1,765) has already been paid in compensation for 32.5 hectares of land handed over by government authorities for the project are also false, the source said.
“In fact, we haven’t received any notification about the land that was acquired, about who will receive compensation for the land, or even how much they will receive,” he said. “Where is that VND 40 billion now, and who is holding it?” he asked.
Commune residents have asked provincial authorities and the project’s developers for answers to these questions, but have so far received no response, he said.
'Provoked to protest'
A video of Monday’s clash between residents and police circulated widely on social media this week, with many viewers commenting that villagers had been provoked into launching their protests. Speaking to RFA, one resident said their blockade of the worksite was not aimed at opposing government authority, however.
“All we did was to set up some tents to prevent construction and protect the land,” he said. “That’s all this was, there was nothing else.”
“However, the authorities did send some policemen in, and so a few minor clashes with the residents occurred,” he said, adding that no one had been arrested in the clash.
Attempts to reach Hung Tay commune authorities for comment received no response, and RFA was unable to independently verify reports from another source that police had used weapons to disperse the crowd.
According to state-run Nghe An Television, a majority of the province’s residents have agreed to construction of the cemetery and crematorium, though a few individuals may still oppose the plan due to a “lack of understanding” of the project.
While all land is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint as residents accuse the government of pushing small landholders aside in favor of lucrative real estate projects, and of paying too little in compensation.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Nov 7, 2021
- Event Description
Activists in Indonesia have called for a thorough investigation after an explosion outside the home of the parents of a prominent human rights lawyer who represents those involved in the West Papuan independence movement.
The blast occurred outside Veronica Koman’s parents’ house in Jakarta on Sunday morning. If it was a targeted attack, it would be the first instance of bombs being used to target those working on issues relating to West Papua outside of the region, according to human rights groups.
Police said they were investigating and did not confirm whether the explosion was caused by a bomb. A letter was left at the time of the explosion, according to Amnesty International, which claimed to be written by “a militant who defended the nation”.
“If the police and [security] forces in the country and abroad cannot arrest Veronica Koman … we were called to scorch-earth wherever you hide, including your protector horde,” the letter said.
Michael Hilman, a Papuan human rights activist, said at a virtual press conference that Koman’s family had been repeatedly subjected to intimidation and threats.
Separately on Sunday, another of Koman’s relatives was sent a package containing a dead chicken alongside a letter that said “anyone who helps to hide Veronica Koman will end up like this”. On 24 October, Koman’s parents’ house was subject to an arson attempt by unknown assailants.
The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) condemned the terrorism perpetrated against the family. It said: “We also recommend the Indonesian police immediately investigate the case and ensure the legal process can be carried out properly in order to break the chain of impunity and prevent recurrence.”
According to Komnas Perempuan, the families of female human rights defenders are often targeted with intimidation. “
At a certain point, the efforts that have been made, the attacks that have been carried out both online and offline, actually show a fairly severe level of torture, which can actually be anticipated by the state in the context of the state providing protection,” she said.
Koman’s case is the latest in a series of incidents targeting human rights defenders, the media were told. Other figures recently targeted include the activists Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti, who investigated politicians who have mining businesses in West Papua. Both are subject to criminal investigations after being reported to the police by the minister for maritime affairs and investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, one of the politicians who was mentioned in the document.
“This is evidence of discrimination and brutality on the Papua issue. Human rights violations, violence, crimes, are used to cover up other crimes in West Papua,” Azhar said.
Chief of the press division of the Bureau of National Police, Brig Gen Rusdi Hartono, said the explosion outside Koman’s parents’ home was being investigated, as were other incidents targeting human rights defenders.
“All incidents concerning citizens’ rights will be handled by the police,” he said.
Koman, an activist and lawyer, was appointed as the key advocate representing the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB), the most significant Indigenous youth movement in the Pacific region, focusing on nonviolent protest supporting independence.
In 2019, Indonesian police charged Koman for allegedly spreading provocation and fake news on social media after she reported police violence against anti-racism protesters in West Papua. Since then she has remained in exile due to safety concerns.
Koman continues to work on West Papua issues from abroad, helping Papuan human rights activists advocate for thousands of internally displaced people in the region who had to flee for safety due to the conflict between the Indonesian military and Papua liberation army.
West Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, is Indonesia’s easternmost province, annexed in 1965 through a controversial referendum. Since then, a low level of insurgency has arisen across the region. Thousands of people in the highland have been displaced. In recent violence, two babies were killed. The United Liberation Movement of West Papua blamed the Indonesian military; the police spokesperson Ahmad Mustofa Kamal accused the liberation army.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property
- HRD
- Family of HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Nov 6, 2021
- Event Description
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has started investigating the reported abduction of an organizer of the militant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in Central Luzon last week.
Lawyer Leorae Valmonte, the CHR regional director, on Tuesday said his office received an urgent alert from rights group Karapatan about the “forced disappearance” of Steve Abua, 34, who helped KMP organize farmers and indigenous peoples.
Abua has been missing since Nov. 6, on the day he was heading to a meeting in Dinalupihan town, Bataan province, his wife, Johanna, 35, told the Inquirer by phone.
According to Johanna, the supposed captors of her husband contacted her thrice since he was forcibly taken either at a transport terminal in Lubao town, Pampanga province, or in Dinalupihan.
She said a motorcycle driver reported dropping off Abua in front of a terminal at Barangay Sta. Cruz, Lubao. NPA member?
Johanna recalled one of the abductors as telling her by phone that they were holding her husband and that she needed to cooperate with them.
The men described their group as a “different government,” she said, adding that they were asking her to convince Abuan to admit that he is a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).In response, Johanna said she had no reason to cooperate with them because Abua is not an NPA member.
A native of Parañaque City, Abua graduated cum laude at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman with a bachelor of science degree in statistics in 2007. Blindfolded, gagged
Johanna said her third communication with the abductors was a video call, through a private chat using the account of one Michelle de la Cruz.
According to Johanna, a male caller sent a 10-second video clip showing Abua wearing a white shirt and sitting on the floor beside a double-deck bed.
She said Abua’s hands were tied. He was blindfolded and his mouth was stuffed with cloth, later removed to show his face.
Johanna said she refused the captors’ demands to meet with them, reveal her address or bring along their young daughter.
“My appeal is for them to surface Steve alive and well,” she said, noting that the abductors stopped sending her text messages when they learned that alerts for Abua’s forced disappearance went viral on social media on Monday.
Pia Montalban, Karapatan coordinator in Central Luzon, said the manner of Abua’s abduction and the negotiation that followed it was done differently but “nonetheless threatening to his liberty and rights.”
In a separate interview, Lt. Col. Eugene Garce, commander of the Philippine Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion based in Bulacan province, said none of the units under his command in the region was holding Abua.
All police units in the region did not have reports on any arrest involving Abua, said Police Lt. Col. Soledad Elefanio, public information head of the Central Luzon police.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Indigenous peoples' rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Nov 5, 2021
- Event Description
The Phnom Penh Appeal Court on Friday reduced the prison sentences of three jailed activists with the environmentalist group Mother Nature, theoretically making them eligible for release.
Long Kunthea, Thun Ratha and Phuon Keoraksmey were convicted in May and handed prison sentences of 18-20 months and fines of $1,000. They had been arrested in September 2020 and accused of incitement for planning a one-person march to advocate against the filling of Boeung Tamok lake in Phnom Penh. The group has been imprisoned since then and have since been hit with additional criminal charges of plotting.
The Appeal Court, which held a hearing for the three activists in late October, announced Friday morning a reduction in their sentences to 14 months, which would allow the trio to be freed on time served. Kunthea and Keoraksmey told a VOD reporter they expected to be released Friday evening, but they have not yet left prison as of publication of this article.
Their defense lawyer, Sam Sokong, said that while the activists have completed their reduced sentences for the earlier incitement charges, they’re now being held in pretrial detention for the plotting charges. Since the trio was already serving their prison sentences when those additional charges were filed, Sokong explained, the defense had not yet asked for bail but will do so next week.
If that request for bail is granted, the activists should be able to leave prison.
Despite their reduced sentences, the two activists said they were unhappy with the court’s decision to uphold their convictions and reasserting their innocence of any wrongdoing.
“We consider the court’s decision is still an injustice for us because we have not done anything wrong as we were charged,” Kunthea said.
Ratha said their advocacy was of national interest and he would consider appealing the guilty verdict after consulting with his lawyers.
“I am still strong because this is a matter for the whole country. I am not happy with the court’s decision because I have not committed [a crime] as I was charged,” Ratha said.
The three activists are also facing a plotting charge in a case that involves three other Mother Nature activists who were arrested in June. Sun Ratha and Yim Leanghy are charged with plotting and insulting the king, while Ly Chandaravuth is charged only for plotting.
The verdict coincided with the Friday morning release of five imprisoned activists from the officially banned opposition CNRP, as well as the youth activist groups Khmer Student Intelligent League Association and Khmer Thavrak.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment, Restrictions on Movement
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Freedom of movement, Freedom of expression Offline
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, NGO staff, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Nov 4, 2021
- Event Description
Student activists Benja Apan and Nutchanon Pairoj have been sentenced to jail on contempt of court charges stemming from a protest at the Ratchadapisek Criminal Court on 29 April 2021 to demand the release of detained activists.
On 29 April 2021, a crowd gathered on the steps of the Ratchadapisek Criminal Court while lawyers went to file a bail request for 7 activists who were detained pending trial at the time on a royal defamation charge. During the protest, Benja and a group of other students came to the Criminal Court to submit an open letter signed by over 10,000 people demanding the release of detained activists.
When judge Chanathip Muanpawong did not come out to receive the letter, Benja scattered pieces of paper printed with the names of those who signed the letter on the steps of the court building. She also read out a poem by Anon Nampa, which criticised the judicial process and call on judges to grant justice to the people.
Benja was sentenced to 6 months in prison, which, according to a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), is the highest possible sentence for the charge.
The court ruled that Benja’s action caused disorder on the court grounds, and that the poem she read insulted the judiciary. The court also said that as she showed no remorse for her action, there was no reason to reduce her sentence.
After leaving the trial, Benja met student activist and fellow United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration member Cholathit Chotsawat and gender equality activist Chumaporn Tangkliang, who were waiting outside the courtroom. She cried, asked Chumaporn “when will it end?” and questioned why the leaders of military coups never get prosecuted.
Benja then asserted that her legs were her own and she had the right to walk by herself or not. She told the correctional officers surrounding her that they already had power over her body and could do what they wanted but that they were going to have to drag her as she would not be moving from the spot on her own.
She then sat down on the ground. The correctional officers brought in a wheelchair, two women officers pulled Benja up and took her away. As she was being taken, Benja called out “Down with feudalism. Long live the people.”
Benja is currently being detained pending trial on a lèse majesté charge in connection with the 10 August 2021 protest. She has been denied bail at least 3 times.
Meanwhile, Nutchanon was sentenced to 4 months in prison, but was later released after posting a 50,000-baht bail. The surety was covered by Will of the People Fund, a charity established to help people facing charges for participating in the pro-democracy movement.
At the 29 April protest, Nutchanon gave a speech on the steps of the court, saying that he does not count the judges as alumni of Thammasat University, where he is currently studying, because they do not love the people as stated in the university’s motto. He also shouted for Chanathip to come receive their open letter and said that the judges “have no backbone.”
Nutchanon said that he made the statement because he believes that denying detained activists bail rights is an injustice that goes against legal principles. The court found him guilty of contempt of court, not for expressing opinions different from the court, but rather for joining a protest, shouting, and acting rudely in a court area in an attempt at use a crowd to pressure the court, which violates the court’s independence in ruling on a case.
According to iLaw, during Benja’s trial, court police were stationed in front of the courtroom, and even though the judge did not order the trial to be held in secret, no observers were allowed into the room, ostensibly as a Covid-19 prevention measure. During Nutchanon’s trial, the court prohibited all recording devices and only allowed note-taking.
TLHR reports that since 18 July 2020, at least 26 people have been charged with contempt of court. Of this number, at least 14 have been charged for demanding bail rights for detained activists.
Other than Benja and Nutchanon, 4 other activists are facing contempt of court charges for participating in the 29 April 2021 protest: Pattarapong Noipang, Shinnawat Chankrajang, Elia Fofi, and Pisitkul Kuantalaeng.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 3, 2021
- Event Description
Soldiers fatally shot the father of an anti-coup protest leader late last month as he drove his car home after closing an electrical goods shop he owned in Yangon, a family friend has told Myanmar Now.
Myo Lwin kept driving when the soldiers pulled up near him in a military vehicle on Bo Aung Kyaw Road on October 28. The soldiers then drove after him and shot him from their vehicle.
“He didn’t die on the spot,” said a friend of Kaung Sett, Myo Lwin’s 20-year-old son. “He was wounded and was taken by them. I don’t think they provided medical attention for his injury. They called the family the following morning saying that he had died.”
A few days later on November 3, Kaung Sett was arrested at a checkpoint on the way out of Yangon along with his friend, Wai Tun. His family have not heard from him since.
Junta forces also detained Kaung Sett’s uncle, Myo Thet Tun, at his home on November 1 even though he was said to have had no involvement in anti-coup protests.
“His uncle was not a part of any movement,” said Kaung Sett’s friend. “His arrest was announced on TV as well.”
Eleven others were arrested on the same day as the uncle on suspicion of being part of the armed resistance movement, while another person was arrested the following day.
The others who were arrested are: Naing Ye Tun, Lin Htet San, Nanda Aung Lin, Zin Min Htet, Min Hein Khant, Hsu Myat Htwe, Zin Ko Hein, Ye Lin Aung, Phan Mhue Eain, Maung Myo, Chit Pone and Aung Naing Oo.
Most of those detained were aged between 17 and 30. The junta said it seized weapons during the arrests and has accused those detained of carrying out bomb attacks and assassinations in Yangon as members of underground organisations including the 44st UG guerrilla group.
The group was formed after two people died and three were badly injured jumping from a third storey apartment on Yangon’s 44th Street in a bid to escape from junta soldiers in August.
With the exception of the uncle, those arrested were active in the anti-coup protest movement, said Kaung Settt’s friend.
Kaung Sett took part in regular flash mob style protests against the junta as part of the General Strike Committee and the Pazundaung-Botahtaung Youth Strike Committee. Such protests have continued on at least a weekly basis in Yangon despite murderous crackdowns by soldiers.
On October 31, Kaung Sett’s mother placed an announcement in a state-owned newspaper saying the family had disowned her son.
The junta has killed at least 1,252 civilians as of Wednesday, while 7,091 people remain in junta custody, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to life, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 1, 2021
- Event Description
Myanmar’s junta has escalated its campaign against anti-coup opponents nationwide by stepping up its arrests, torture and killings, while ignoring calls from the international community to end all violence and release political prisoners.
In southern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region, over a dozen residents of Dawei and Launglon townships were reportedly arrested this week.
The most recent arrest included three relatives of Ko Lu Lu Zaw, an activist who is wanted by the military regime for his involvement in peaceful anti-regime demonstrations in Launglon Township. Early on Wednesday morning, junta forces arrested the activist’s wife, two-year-old child and uncle as they couldn’t find Ko Lu Lu Zaw at his home.
Earlier on Monday, the junta also raided the houses of two wanted anti-coup protest leaders in Launglon Township. The junta forces burned down the house of one activist after failing to find him and arrested the mother of another protest leader as a hostage.
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Raid, Use of Excessive Force, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to housing, Right to liberty and security, Right to property, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Nov 1, 2021
- Event Description
A teacher from Sintgaing Township in Mandalay Region died on Tuesday after just 24 hours in a junta interrogation centre.
Win Lwin, 32, had worked at a government high school in Sintgaing, and was arrested on Monday morning, according to another resident of his home village of Ywar Bo.
“He died at the interrogation centre and his family was notified to come and collect his body. However, when they went there to get his body, they were told that he had already been cremated,” the villager told Myanmar Now.
The victim had been staying in Ywar Bo and had left his teaching post to participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) aimed at toppling the junta, which took power in a coup in February.
Another Sintgaing local said that Win Lwin was likely questioned about an explosion that took place in the village in late September.
“The soldiers stationed in the community hall in the middle of the village were attacked with a bomb and there were some casualties,” the local said. “[The junta’s forces] started arresting the teachers taking part in the CDM after the attack. He was one of the many that were arrested.”
On Monday, Win Lwin was among five people who were initially detained, but three were later released the same day.
Only Win Lwin and a private tutor, Yan Aung Win, were held overnight in detention.
Win Lwin is survived by his wife and a two-year-old son.
The Sintgaing local who spoke to Myanmar Now about Win Lwin’s death condemned his arrest and murder as “senseless,” and also denounced the junta’s brutal crackdown on resistance in the township.
On October 29, another 27-year-old teacher participating in the CDM and a 40-year-old betel nut vendor named Pho Wa were arrested and accused of involvement in the assassination of a junta-appointed ward administrator three days earlier.
The deceased, Aung Myint, was from Wun Htan Kwat Thut ward in Paleik town in Sintgaing, and an alleged military informant.
“We heard that they were torturing Pho Wa to get him to confess that he was the getaway driver for the assaillants that killed Aung Myint. The CDM teacher who got arrested along with him was also in danger, I heard,” another local from the township said.
Two more Sintgaing locals, Aye Wai, 50, and Chaw Su, 40, were arrested by the military council on October 30 and accused of supporting the anti-junta People’s Defence Force.
No one at the Sintgaing Central Police Station has answered Myanmar Now’s calls regarding the incidents.
According to data published on Tuesday by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 1,233 civilians have been killed by the military council since the coup.
U Win Lwin, a teacher at the Basic Education High School in Sintgine, Magwe Region, who was involved in the CDM, also died from injuries consistent with torture, AAPP stated in their report.
At around 3am on November 1 at around 3am, junta soldiers arrested five villagers including U Win Lwin for questioning. Three out of the five were released that evening, but U Win Lwin and U Yan Aung Win, a tutor, were kept in detention. On November 2 at 7am, U Win Lwin’s family were told to collect his body.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Torture, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Oct 30, 2021
- Event Description
Around 100 Myanmar army soldiers raided a safehouse in Mandalay’s Chanayethazan Township on Saturday, arresting eight people, including two former student union leaders and two members of an education strike committee.
Among those taken into junta custody were Yan Soe Paing, the former chair of the Mandalay University Student Union and Naung Htet Aung, the former chair of the Yangon Education University Student Union.
Two members of the basic education staff’s general strike committee—Nine Thiha Kyaw and Thet Su Hlaing—were also arrested.
Aung Pyae Sone Phyo, the chair of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, said the identities of the remaining two detainees had not been verified.
“The house where they had recently been staying was raided. Six of our people were taken and we only managed to identify four of them. We still don’t know who the other two are, which group they are from or why they were arrested,” he told Myanmar Now on Sunday.
The victims’ families were worried for their safety and had received no information on their whereabouts, Aung Pyae Sone Phyo said.
“We heard that the military also kicked and beat a disabled woman at the house during the raid,” he added.
Locals who spoke to Myanmar Now on the condition of anonymity claimed that the troops who carried out the raid on the safehouse also later searched other homes in the neighbourhood and interrogated pedestrians.
The junta’s information team did not answer calls from Myanmar Now regarding the arrests.
Daily protests against the dictatorship are ongoing in Mandalay and have been met with brutal crackdowns by the military, whose troops have been known to open fire on demonstrators and hit them with cars.
According to documentation by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 9,000 people have been detained by the junta in the nine months since the February 1 coup. More than 1,000 have been killed.
The military council has declared the AAPP an unlawful organisation.
- Impact of Event
- 4
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 29, 2021
- Event Description
The public prosecutor has decided to indict Noppasin Treelayapewat, 16, who was charged with royal defamation for participating in a “fashion show” during a pro-democracy protest on Silom Road on 29 October 2020.
At the “Ratsadorn Catwalk” fashion show, staged at the 29 October 2020 protest, Noppasin is alleged to have mocked the King by wearing a black crop top with the message “My father’s name is Mana, not Vajiralongkorn” written on his back. He was charged with royal defamation under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code after a complaint was filed against him by Waritsanun Sribawornthanakit.
Waritsanun also filed a complaint against Jatuporn Sae-Ung, 23, for participating in the same protest. Jatuporn is alleged to have ridiculed the Queen by wearing a pink Thai traditional dress to the fashion show and walking along a red carpet under an umbrella held by another protester.
The public prosecutor decided on 15 July 2021 to indict Jatuporn with royal defamation on 15 July 2021. She was released on bail using 200,000 baht as security. The court also set her conditions that she must not repeat her offences, participate in activities that damage the monarchy, or leave the country.
The ”Ratsadorn Catwalk” took place after it was reported that the Ministry of Commerce received a 13-million baht budget for the overseas exhibition of new products by Sirivannavari brand, a fashion label owned by the King’s younger daughter, Princess Sirivannavari.
The 29 October 2020 protest took place on the same day that Sirivannavari’s new collection launch event was being held at the nearby Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Although there were no speeches, protesters participated in the fashion show, performed, and exhibit artwork to support monarchy reform.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 154 people have been charged with royal defamation for political expression since November 2020. At least 12 of the defendants are under the age of 18.
Several protest leaders are also facing multiple counts of the charge, including Parit Chiwarak, who is facing 21 counts; Anon Nampa, 14 counts; Panupong Jadnok, 9 counts; Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, 8 counts; and Benja Apan, 6 counts.
Five people are currently detained pending trial on royal defamation charges: Parit Chiwarak, Jatupat Boonpattaraksa, Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok, and Benja Apan.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 29, 2021
- Event Description
On 29/10/2021, seven migrant workers from Cambodia were arrested and detained at Ministry of Labour(MOL) Thailand. This occurred whilst they were part of a Delegation submitting a Petition to the Minister of Labour demanding better welfare and rights of migrant workers working in Thailand, affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The arrests occurred despite announcement on official government websites regarding the Cabinets decision to give an amnesty on documentation requirements for migrants and whilst the migrants were exercising their human rights as Human Rights Defenders. One of the main duties of MOL is” to consider complaints or requests filled to Minister “. The Minister failed in his duty to the seven migrant workers who were making an official request. On 29/10/2021, at about 9 am, a delegation from the Taskforce to Monitor the Provision of Support to Workers in Construction Sector, which included the Workers ‘Union, the Labor Network for People’s Rights, the Migrants Working Group (MWG) and migrant workers, went to meet the Minister of Labour petitioning for that the MOL ensure better welfare and rights to migrant workers especially during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Their demands included, (1) the appointment of the Working Committee on the Management of Foreign Workers from the Three Countries(Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia) with representation from the workers, civil society and state; (2) the reduction of fees and expenses, particularly for those migrants with permission to remain in the Kingdom; (3) the provision of Mandatory Health Insurance for migrant workers from these 3 countries who are employed in the private sector to be at the same rate and benefits as provided in the health insurance scheme of the Ministry of Public Health or Social Security; and (4) the repeal of Social Security Office’s regulations which impede the migrant workers’ access to protection under the Workmen's Compensation Fund Act. Around 11am while negotiations were on-going between the representatives of the delegation and the authorities ; seven migrant workers who were waiting outside the Ministry of Labour were arrested by plainclothes police officers, Immigration officers and other unidentified officials wearing vests bearing the name “The Minister of Labour Suchart Chomklin”. The authorities barged in and demanded to examine the personal documents of the seven workers. Photos were taken. The seven Cambodian migrant workers (3 women and 4 men) were arrested and taken to the Din Daeng Police Station. One of them is a single mother, who had that morning told her children she would be out to process her work permit, but will come back in the evening. Now, her two children are left motherless having no idea where their mother is. Charges against the seven were for allegedly illegally entering the country, an offense punishable under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979). Denial of access to lawyers and questionable investigations The seven allegedly were then pressured into rushing to sign the charge sheets, which can be taken as an admission of guilt. This was done before they were granted access to lawyers and/or legal representatives. There were no interpreters present. Access to lawyers was subsequently granted only at around 3 pm. The police then transferred the seven to the Immigration Detention Centre (Soi Suan Plu IDC), where they still remain in detention. Arresting these migrant workers, who are Human Rights and Labour Rights Defenders, who went to the Ministry to submit representations is wrong and a violation of human and labour rights. When Minister and Ministries Disrespect Thailand Cabinet’s Decision of 28/9/2021. It is shocking that this happens after the Thai Cabinet on 28/9/2021 had made and publicized a decision to allow undocumented migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to continue to stay in Thailand to enable time for employers and migrant workers to apply and receive official permits. This reasonable decision comes in response to the Covid-19 pandemic that has affected employers, workers and also government administration. Despite this government decision, the Ministry of Interior and/or the Ministry of Labour has still failed to put in place the necessary mechanisms and procedures to give effect to the government’s decision. This government decision will apply to two groups of migrant workers including (1) undocumented workers from the said three countries who have yet to obtain their work permits; and (2) migrant workers from the said three countries who have already applied for work permits pursuant to the earlier 29/12/2020 Cabinet resolution, but have yet to receive their permits. The reported government decision was that these 2 categories of workers shall be treated as follows - The undocumented migrant workers who have yet to apply for work permits shall remain in the Kingdom and continue to work legally, and their employers must apply for work permits on behalf of the workers within 30 days after the Notification of the relevant Ministry, being the Ministry of Labour and/or Ministry of Interior, is issued and published in The Royal Thai Government Gazette. Migrant workers will be allowed to continue staying and working in the Kingdom until 28 February 2023. Almost a month later after the government’s decision, the needed Notification from the relevant Ministry is yet to be issued. This procrastination and neglect of duty has also impacted on the ability of Public Health to successfully implement its Covid 19 prevention program The procrastination of Ministers and their Ministry is appalling as it will cause great suffering not just to migrant workers but also their employers. It has been reported on the Facebook Page of Labor Network for People’s Rights that on the evening of 29/10/2021, negotiations concluded that the said seven migrant workers will be placed under Covid-19 quarantine for at least 14 days or until the Ministry Notification pursuant the 28/9/2021 Cabinet decision is issued and despite the high risk of Covid infection at detention facilities.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Labour rights, Offline, Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Labour rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 28, 2021
- Event Description
The Thai authorities should promptly and impartially investigate the alleged police torture of two pro-democracy activists in Bangkok and hold those responsible to account, Human Rights Watch said today.
On October 29, 2021, at about 6 p.m., police arrested Attasith Nussa, 35, and Weeraphap Wongsaman, 18, after violently dispersing a protest outside Bangkok’s Din Daeng police station. The two men allege that the police beat them while arresting them and then took them inside the police station, where officers beat and choked them, burned them with cigarettes, and threatened them with death.
“Attasith and Weeraphap’s accounts of their brutal mistreatment show that the Thai government has failed miserably to live up to its repeated pledges to end torture in police custody,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The fact that this abuse happened not in a remote provincial jail but in downtown Bangkok demonstrates how little the police fear getting punished.”
On November 1 Attasith told the media that he was filing a complaint with the House of Representatives’ Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. He said that, after being taken to the police station, officers in uniforms and civilian clothes surrounded him in an interrogation room. One police officer in a white shirt accused him of setting fire to a shrine in front of the Din Daeng police station, and said it was “convenient” that he came alone to the demonstration so that they could say he “died in an accident.”
“[H]e dragged me on a wooden bench and slammed my head against it twice” Attasith said. “He asked me, ‘Why did you come here and make a mess? Did you set fire to the shrine? Do you know who shot that riot police officer [who was seriously wounded on October 6]? Were you involved in that shooting?’ He asked these questions again and again. Then he hit my ribs and stomach with a wooden baton. After that, he grabbed my neck and choked me until I almost passed out.”
Attasith said the police took turns choking him six or seven times, forcing him to tell them his mobile phone and chat passwords. Officers told him not to resist or the beating would get much worse. They beat him until 7 p.m. and kept him in the interrogation room until about 3 a.m. the next day, before taking him to the holding cells where they detained other protesters.
On October 30 Weeraphap gave a media interview describing his mistreatment by police in uniforms and civilian clothes at the Din Daeng police station.
“Those police officers punched and kicked me when they arrested me and brought me inside the Din Daeng police station,” Weeraphap said. “I was handcuffed behind my back. They put me on a chair in an interrogation room and took my pants off. They burned the areas around my genitals with cigarettes and kicked my testicles. One of the officers said, ‘You were lucky that I did not shoot you and dump your body in a river, because you set fire to the shrine [in front of the police station].’ They took turns beating me up, punching and kicking me.”
Weeraphap said they repeatedly asked him about the wounding of the riot police officer on October 6, and when he said he knew nothing about it, they beat him again. He said this went on until the next day at 3 a.m.
Attasith and Weeraphap were released by the court on October 30.
Torture and other ill-treatment in police custody have long been a problem in Thailand but the government has taken few steps to address it, Human Rights Watch said. In August, police tortured a drug suspect to death in the Nakhon Sawan provincial police station. Human Rights Watch has also documented numerous cases related to counterinsurgency operations in Thailand’s southern border provinces, in which police and military personnel tortured ethnic Malay Muslims.
The government’s Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Bill, which is currently being considered by parliament, does not meet international human rights standards, such as lacking definitions for cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Thailand is a party to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which obligates governments to investigate and prosecute acts of torture and other ill-treatment. Article 4 of the Convention states that a government should “ensure that all acts of torture are offenses under its criminal law. The same shall apply to an attempt to commit torture and to an act by any person which constitutes complicity or participation in torture.” The government should also “make these offenses punishable by appropriate penalties, which take into account their grave nature.”
“Attasith and Weeraphap’s cases should impress upon the Thai government the need to establish a credible and independent prosecutorial body to receive complaints of police abuse, conduct investigations, and bring cases for prosecution,” Adams said. “The government should also promptly act to fulfill past pledges to make torture a criminal offense.”
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Death threat, Intimidation and Threats, Torture, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Oct 27, 2021
- Event Description
A court in southern Vietnam on Thursday sentenced five independent journalists to long prison terms after a two-day trial, putting them behind bars for a total of 14 years and six months for writing articles authorities said had slandered government leaders.
The members of the now-shuttered Clean Newspaper Facebook group had been charged under Clause 2, Article 331 of Vietnam’s Penal Code with “abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to violate the State’s interests and the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals.”
Handed the heaviest sentence, journalist Truong Chau Huu Danh was sentenced to four years and six months, while Doan Kien Giang and Le The Thang received sentences of three years each, and Nguyen Phuoc Trung Bao and Nguyen Thanh Nha were each given two-year sentences.
The five will also be barred from working as journalists for three years after finishing their prison terms, the court in Can Tho city said.
“The sentence especially for Truong Chau Huu Danh was too severe, and the sanctions used under Article 331 are too harsh,” independent journalist Duong Van Thai told RFA following the trial. “Authoritarian countries will give someone a harsh verdict if they want to destroy them,” he said.
“In fact, the Communist regime doesn’t want to listen to any critical, dissenting voices,” Thai said. “They only like praise, hate criticism, and dislike any new ideas.”
“They are never lenient with political dissidents and always give them much harsher penalties. This is the easiest way for Vietnam’s Communist regime to get revenge,” he said.
Thai added that the group may have been given especially harsh sentences because of their reports on infighting among Communist Party leaders, including a series of stories they wrote about former Dak Lak provincial party secretary Bui Van Cuong.
Cuong, now the secretary general of Vietnam’s National Assembly, had been accused by two lecturers from Ton Duc Thang University of plagiarism in completing work for his PhD degree. The two lecturers were themselves later arrested.
Clean Newspaper journalists had also posted criticisms online of the Jan. 9, 2020 raid by security forces intervening in a land dispute at Dong Tam commune outside Hanoi in which a village elder was shot dead by police.
Other articles had criticized the widely unpopular build-operate-transfer (BOT) highway schemes adopted by Vietnam in recent years that have sparked rare protests over toll collections described by motorists as unfair.
'Not enemies of the state'
Vietnam's government should recognize that citizen journalists and independent media are "allies of good governance, not enemies of the state," Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said in a statement on Tuesday, a day before the trial began.
"Throwing more citizen journalists into prison is not going to stop people from complaining, or demanding reforms in Vietnam," Robertson said.
In a statement following the trial, Daniel Bastard, head of the Asia-Pacific desk for Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF)—said that Vietnamese authorities have now given “new evidence of their determination to suppress any attempt to provide freely reported news and information.”
“Worse still, by banning them from practicing their trade altogether, [the judges] have shown what little account Vietnam’s leaders take of journalism. These five journalists have no place being in prison,” Bastard said.
Vietnam is ranked 175th out of 180 countries in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index for 2021.
Vietnam’s already low tolerance of dissent deteriorated sharply last year with a spate of arrests of independent journalists, publishers, and Facebook personalities as authorities continued to stifle critics in the run-up to the ruling Communist Party Congress in January. Arrests continue in 2021.
- Impact of Event
- 5
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Oct 27, 2021
- Event Description
Ven. Thawbita, a prominent Mandalay-based monk who was sentenced to two years in prison just a day after his arrest on February 1, has been given two more years behind bars on new charges, his lawyer said on Monday.
San Nyunt Wai, the monk’s lawyer, told Myanmar Now that the new sentence was handed down last Wednesday after the regime added charges of incitement under Section 505a of the Penal Code to the list of his client’s alleged offenses.
It was unclear if an appeal would be filed, but it appeared to be unlikely, as the court has denied the monk any formal representation, according to San Nyunt Wai.
“The prison authorities said his case would have to be submitted to the higher authorities as he was a well-known monk,” the lawyer said.
An outspoken critic of Myanmar’s military leaders, Ven. Thawbita first came to national prominence in 2007, when he emerged as one of the leaders of the monk-led Saffron Revolution.
The current case against him stems from remarks he made on social media in 2018 that were deemed defamatory to the country’s top general, Min Aung Hlaing.
He was initially charged with incitement under Section 505b of the Penal Code, but a court in Mandalay Region’s Amarapura Township dismissed that case last year.
Then, on February 2—a day after he was taken away from his monastery in handcuffs as the military seized power from Myanmar’s elected civilian government—he was found guilty of violating Section 66d of the Telecommunications Law and immediately sentenced to two years in prison.
Ywet Nu Aung, another lawyer who was involved in defending the monk before the coup, said that the sentence was handed down before the trial was even completed.
“We were still examining witnesses for the defence in connection with the Section 66d charges when he was arrested on February 1 and given a two-year sentence on February 2,” he said.
According to San Nyunt Wai, the additional charge under Section 505a was added at some point after Ven. Thawbita’s arrest.
He added that lawyers have been denied permission to visit the monk at Mandalay’s Obo Prison, ostensibly due to Covid-19 restrictions.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Oct 26, 2021
- Event Description
The Phnom Penh Municipal Court today sentenced 10 currently detained political, social and youth activists to 20 months in prison and fined them 2 million riel each ($500) over charges of incitement under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code. They each must serve from 14 to 15 months in prison, with the remainder of their sentences suspended. The 10 activists, already detained for over one year, are each due to be released from prison in November 2021, however they were placed under probation for two additional years, requiring them to alert the court if they move, change jobs or want to leave the country, among other conditions. Four additional individuals were also sentenced in absentia.
The sentenced social and youth activists, many of whom were part of the Khmer Thavrak movement, include Chhoeun Daravy, Hun Vannak, Mean Prummony, Koet Saray, Tha Lavy, Moung Sopheak, and Eng Malai. Daravy and Vannak were each sentenced to serve 15 months in prison, while the others must serve 14 months. They were arrested in August and September 2020 in relation to their peaceful gatherings around the court to call for the release of jailed union leader Rong Chhun, who remains in prison after being convicted of incitement on 18 August 2021.
The trial mostly consisted of the activists being asked if they had obtained prior permission to gather, and if they had someone from outside the country encouraging or paying them to engage in the peaceful calls for Rong Chhun’s release. In their closing statements, many of the activists noted that they had only engaged in peaceful demonstrations, that the conditions in Cambodia’s overcrowded prisons were difficult, and that the trial lacked justice.
Three other detained individuals - Chum Puthy, Chhuo Pheng, and Kong Sam An - were also charged in the same case file and sentenced. The three are former activists or members of the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). Chum Puthy and Chhuo Pheng must each serve 15 months in prison, while Kong Sam An will serve 14 months. In addition, four individuals were charged in absentia, including Seng Meng Bunrong, Ho Vann, Ou Chanrith, and Kong Saphea. Meng Bunrong was found guilty of incitement, while the three others were found guilty of instigating incitement under Articles 28, 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code. They were each sentenced to two years in prison, as well as handed fines of 4 million riel each ($1,000). Charges against Hong Lim were dropped. Arrest warrants have been issued for the four who were convicted in absentia.
- Impact of Event
- 7
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of association, Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Oct 23, 2021
- Event Description
Veteran pro-democracy activist Ko Jimmy is in intensive care after he was detained during a raid on Saturday night in Yangon, according to a source close to the military hospital where he was admitted.
Ko Jimmy, whose real name is Kyaw Min Yu, has been sent to the Defence Services General Hospital in Mingalardon Township, the source told Myanmar Now on Monday on condition of anonymity.
“I am told his condition is not good and is worrying,” said the source, who was unable to give further details about Ko Jimmy’s injuries.
Ko Jimmy was arrested when regime forces raided a house where he was staying at the Pinlon Housing complex in Yangon’s North Dagon Township on Saturday night.
The pro-military news outlet People Media reported that several people, including Ko Jimmy, were arrested during the raid, but his wife Nilar Thein said only he was detained.
The military issued an arrest warrant for the 52-year-old activist on February 13, accusing him of inciting unrest and threatening “public tranquillity” for writing social media posts critical of the military’s coup earlier that month.
At the same time, the junta issued a warrant for Min Ko Naing, another prominent veteran of the student-led uprising of August 1988.
Since February, Ko Jimmy has moved from one place to another to avoid arrest while participating in the latest uprising, Nilar Thein said. She was not at the house during the raid and has not seen him since the coup, she added.
While trying to escape on Saturday, Ko Jimmy injured himself when he fell from a fence lined with barbed wire and another man who was also running from the junta’s forces fell on top of him, Nilar Thein said. The man who fell on Ko Jimmy managed to evade arrest, she added.
She believes junta forces inflicted even worse injuries on Ko Jimmy after he was detained and that this is the reason his condition is now so bad.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Nilar Thein said she feared for her husband’s life and that the military council must take responsibility for everything that happens after his arrest.
Ko Jimmy, who is also a writer, was imprisoned in 1988 for his role in the uprising and remained behind bars until 1996. In 2007, following the Saffron Revolution, he was arrested again and held until 2012.
As of Sunday, Myanmar’s military junta has arrested a total of 9,175 opponents of the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Of these, 7,016 are still in regime custody.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Raid, Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Oct 23, 2021
- Event Description
Three armed assailants killed a teacher who was part of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) against the junta during a raid on her home in the Sagaing Region town of Homalin on Sunday evening.
The attackers shot May Hnin Aye, who was around 30 years old, in her arm, leg and chest while she was sitting on the balcony of the house, which she shared with several other family members.
May Hnin Aye lived at the house with her husband, their one-year-old son, her husband’s parents and her brother-in-law, a local protest leader named Kyaw Win Sein who was the only one not home at the time of the attack because he went into hiding in August.
During the attack, which started at around 6pm, the assailants shot the front of the house before storming inside and shooting at the family members as they ran away, Kyaw Win Sein said, adding that they did not hit anyone besides May Hnin Aye.
He told Myanmar Now that he believed the assailants were plainclothes soldiers as they seemed to be adept at handling their weapons. The attack on Kyaw Win Sein’s family home came just hours after an alleged military informant named Maung Mawt was shot dead in Homalin.
“I think they took out their anger on our family after their informant got killed,” Kyaw Win Sein said. “The problem is that we didn’t even know that person. We’ve only seen his photo online. Also, my family had already disowned me. This was just senseless and cruel.”
Kyaw Win Sein’s parents issued a public announcement in August that he had been disowned in a bid to prevent the family from being targeted. “Our family also received multiple threats before this incident,” Kyaw Win Sein said. “They even torched our family’s convenience store.”
The family’s shop in Homalin market was burned down on October 18.
An officer on duty at the Homalin central police station refused to comment on the killing of May Hnin Aye.
Fighting has been escalating across Sagaing Region as the junta deploys thousands of troops to upper Myanmar in preparation for what are expected to be large clearance operations aimed at wiping out resistance fighters.
Although Homalin is small, it is home to several military bases, including that of the 222nd Infantry Battalion, the 359th and 370th Light Infantry Battalions, and the Homalin Air Base.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Killing, Raid, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Public Servant, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Suspected state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 23, 2021
- Event Description
Two Burapha University students have been charged with royal defamation for hanging a banner containing a message about the monarchy from their dorm room balcony.
Watchara (last name withheld), 19, was arrested on Saturday (23 October) at his dorm on an arrest warrant issued by the Chonburi Provincial Court. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), he never received a summons before being arrested.
TLHR also reported that, according to the police report of the arrest, the police were told where Watchara lived by an informant who wanted a reward for assisting in his arrest. Acting on the information, the police arrested Watchara in front of his residence on Saturday afternoon (23 October). He was taken to Saensuk Police Station and held there overnight.
On Sunday (24 October), his roommate Wirachat (last name withheld), who was informed that an arrest warrant had also been issued for him, reported to the police. The inquiry officer informed both students that they were charged with royal defamation under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code for hanging a banner with an “inappropriate message” from their dorm room balcony. The inquiry officer also attempted to take DNA samples from both students, but their lawyer declined the request as there is no reason to do so in this case.
When Wirachat went to report to the police, a group of students came to show their support and were holding banners saying “Feudalism shall fall; the people shall prosper” and other messages demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government, access to Covid-19 vaccines, repeal of Section 112, and monarchy reform.
A police officer attempted to stop them from showing the banners, but the students insisted on continuing their activities, saying that the messages are not illegal and that if the officer wanted them to stop, he had to tell them which law the messages violated. Another group of students also poured dog food in front of a group of police officers.
The two students were held at Saensuk Police Station for one more night, before being taken to court for a temporary detention request the next morning. The inquiry officer claimed that the police still needed the testimony of 6 other witnesses, and opposed to bail on the grounds that the charge has a severe penalty and is related to national security.
The students were later granted bail using a security of 150,000 baht each, which was covered by the Will of the People Fund, a bail fund for those facing charges for political expression. The court also set them the condition that they do not repeat their offense.
Previously, on 13 October 2021, Watchara and Wirachat, along with another student, were taken to Saensuk Police Station after they hung the banner from their balcony on the evening of 12 October 2021. They were questioned without a lawyer present before being released without being charged.
According to TLHR, at least 153 people are facing royal defamation charges in 157 cases since 24 November 2020, of which at least 38 cases are related to forms of expression that are not speech, such as hanging banners or displaying printed material or stickers, while 72 cases relate to opinions expressed on social media.
Several protest leaders are also facing multiple counts of the charge, including Parit Chiwarak, who is facing 21 counts; Anon Nampa, 14 counts; Panupong Jadnok, 9 counts; Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, 8 counts; and Benja Apan, 6 counts.
Five people are currently detained pending trial on royal defamation charges: Parit Chiwarak, Jatupat Boonpattaraksa, Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok, and Benja Apan.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Oct 23, 2021
- Event Description
Majelis hakim Pengadilan Negeri Ambon memvonis mahasiswa Universitas Pattimura Ambon Risman Soulissa yang menyerukan demonstrasi menurunkan Presiden Joko Widodo dan Gubernur Maluku Murad Ismail. Aktivis Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (HMI) Cabang Ambon ini divonis selama delapan bulan penjara oleh majelis hakim yang diketuai Lucky Rombot Kalalo di Pengadilan Negeri Ambon pada Jumat (23/10/2021). Dalam sidang dengan agenda pembacaan putusan itu, majelis hakim menilai perbuatan Risman telah melanggar ketentuan dalam pasal 14 ayat (2) UU RI Nomor 1 tahun 1964 Undang-undang Informasi Teknologi Elektronik. Tanggapan penasihat hukum Menanggapi putusan hakim tersebut, salah satu panasihat hukum terdakwa, Hamid Fakaubun mengaku kecewa dengan putusan hakim yang memvonis kliennya 8 bulan penjara dipotong masa tahanan. Menurut Hamid putusan hakim tersebut tidak mempertimbangkan sejumlah fakta persidangan. “Kita kecewa dengan vonis yang diberikan, karena hakim tidak mempertimbangkan fakta-fakta persidangan. Tentu selaku penasehat hukum dengan melihat semua fakta persidangan kita berharap klien kita bebas dari segala tuntutan tapi faktanya dia dihukum,” kata Hamid kepada Kompas.com, Selasa (26/10/2021). Hamid menjelaskan, saat ini tim kuasa hukum sedang membahas masalah tersebut guna memutuskan apakah akan melakukan banding terkait putusan hakim atau tidak. “Sebentar ini kita akan rapat untuk membahas masalah ini karena kemarin saat ditanya hakim kita menjawab masih pikir-pikir. Kita juga sudah koordinasi dengan keluarga dan keluarga menyerahkan sepenuhnya kepada tim PH, jadi kita tunggu direktur LBH sebentar dan kita akan putusan langkah selanjutnya,” ungkapnya. Risman sendiri sudah tiga bulan menjalani penahanan di Lapas Ambon. Apabila tim kuasa hukum memutuskan menerima putusan hakim, maka hukuman yang harus dijalani Risman Solissa tersisa lima bulan. Karena status Risman saat ini mahasiswa semester akhir di Universitas Pattimura, maka pihaknya akan berkoordinasi dengan pihak Lapas untuk mempermudah studi kliennya itu. “Kita akan bicara dengan pimpinan lapas dulu karena Risman ini statusnya mahasiswa semester akhir agar dia bisa melakukan aktivitas studinya juga karena ada hal-hal yang urgen yang harus dilakukan di kampus,” ungkapnya. Diberitakan sebelumnya, mahasiswa di Ambon bernama Risman Soulissa ditangkap sejumlah polisi di kawasan Poka, Kecamatan Teluk Ambon pada Minggu (25/7/2021) malam. Dia ditangkap setelah menyerukan aksi unjuk rasa menolak Pemberlakuan Pembatasan Kegiatan masyarakat (PPKM) di akun media sosial. Saat itu Risman juga menggunggah seruan mencopot Presiden Joko Widodo, Gubernur Maluku dan Wali Kota Ambon. Risman kemudian diperiksa kurang lebih delapan jam dan akhirnya ditetapkan sebagai tersangka pada Senin pagi. Polisi menjerat tersangka dengan Pasal 45A sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 45 ayat 3 Undang-undang Nomor 19 Tahun 2016 tentang perubahan kedua atas UU nomor 11 tahun 2008 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik dan atau Pasal 14 ayat 2 UU Nomor 1 Tahun 1946 tentang peraturan hukum pidana.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Oct 22, 2021
- Event Description
Authorities pushed women protesters to the ground and confiscated banners from a group of around 20 demonstrators who gathered in front of the French Embassy this morning. Police and para-police outnumbered demonstrators and used excessive force to disrupt the protesters from holding banners and speaking to the media.
The group of women protesters, often called the “Friday Women”, have for months gathered in front of various embassies and state institutions to call for the release of their imprisoned family members, who are former members or officials in the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was dissolved by Cambodian courts in November 2017. They have previously been harassed and pushed by security forces during peaceful demonstrations. Three of the demonstrators entered the French Embassy to deliver their petition, including Prum Chantha, the mother of a detained 16-year-old with autism spectrum disorder. Her son was arrested in June 2021 for incitement and insult of public officials, while her husband Kak Komphear, a former CNRP official, has been in jail since June 2020 on charges of conspiracy and incitement. The other petitioners were Seng Chan Thon, whose husband Sun Thun was a former CNRP activist, high school teacher and local union leader and was arrested in June 2020; and Out Chanthy, whose husband Yoem Sareth was a former elected commune councilor in Phnom Penh for the CNRP and was arrested in March 2020.
More than 50 political activists and former members of the opposition are currently imprisoned, while more than a hundred have been slapped with politically motivated charges in recent years.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Oct 22, 2021
- Event Description
A representative of 241 families involved in a land dispute with a prominent developer in Phnom Penh’s Chbar Ampov district was arrested and sent to Prey Sar Prison on charges of trespassing and illegally destroying property.
The families have been locked in a dispute over 58 hectares for decades: initially with late tycoon Suy Sophan’s Phanimex, and in the past two years with developer Borey Peng Huoth.
They say they have farmed the area since the 1980s, and last month filed a complaint to the Land Management Ministry saying the gated-housing developer had begun filling in the disputed wetlands.
Po Rorn, 54, was taken away by officers in civilian clothes around 7 a.m. Friday while he was at a cafe near his house in Prek Thmey commune, said Chheun Phalla, another representative of the disputants.
Rorn was first taken to the Interior Ministry, then to the municipal court around around 3 p.m., and finally sent to Prey Sar Prison after about an hour of questioning, Phalla said.
“They arrested our representative, so almost everyone is afraid. We don’t know how to protest or what we can do. [We are] always scared and concerned of our own safety,” he said.
Rorn had been accused of trespassing and destroying property — the same charges as previously brought by tycoon Sophan when she was still alive in 2016, Phalla said.
Another representative for the families, Mao Sophearith, who was at the court questioning on Friday, said the accusations were related to the old dispute with Phanimex.
Chbar Ampov district police chief Mao Soeuth confirmed the arrest, but said he had no further details. “I do not know either. I implemented an arrest warrant with the criminal department.”
Rorn’s wife Nhev Savath, 42, said her husband farmed more than 0.16 hectares of land that he inherited from his parents.
Savath denied that her husband could have been involved in any recent property damage, as his health condition was not good and he had been staying at home.
She was concerned about her husband’s high blood pressure and diabetes, which required regular medication and had recently deteriorated, making it hard for him to walk.
“It’s an injustice. No warrant before arresting — they came to arrest and took him,” Savath said. “I’ve worried until my legs and my hands are weak, and I can’t do anything.”
Sou Sokchea, director of the Land Management Ministry’s inspections and complaints department, said he had helped mediate the 58-hectare dispute in 2019, but after two meetings the two sides failed to reach any agreement. He decided to let the parties settle the matter bilaterally or through the courts, he said.
“It had been silent until I heard the news,” Sokchea said.
The families have shown a Council of Ministers proclamation from February 2017 to suspend registrations and transfers of land ownership in the area until the disputes are resolved. But they claim Phanimex transferred its claims to the land to Borey Peng Huoth anyway two years ago.
The new developer began pouring sand into the area in early September, and showed residents land titles signed by the municipal administration in March, they have said.
A lawyer for Phanimex said he no longer represented the company since Sophan’s death, while a Borey Peng Huoth representative involved in sandfilling declined to be named.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Minority Rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 21, 2021
- Event Description
Student activist Benja Apan has been denied bail for a third time yesterday (21 October), after she was arrested on 7 October 2021 on a lèse majesté charge in connection with the 10 August 2021 protest.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Benja’s lawyer went to file another bail request for her yesterday morning (21 October), with politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit as her bail guarantor, using 200,000 baht as security.
However, the South Bangkok Criminal Court ruled to deny bail for Benja on the grounds that there is no reason to change previous court orders. According to TLHR, the order was signed by Deputy Chief Justice Manas Phakphuwadol.
Benja was arrested on 7 October 2021 after she went to meet the inquiry officer at Lumpini Police Station to hear a charge of violating the Emergency Decree for participating in the 3 September protest at the Ratchaprasong intersection. The police then found that there was an outstanding arrest warrant issued against her on a royal defamation charge under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, as well as charges for violations of the Emergency Decree and the Communicable Diseases Act, for participating in the 10 August 2021 protest. However, she did not receive a summons before being arrested.
During the protest, Benja read out the second United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration Declaration, stating that the 2014 coup led by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has led to a regime which benefited only the elite. The statement also criticised the government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and called for the government to properly handle the pandemic, revitalise the economy, repeal the 2017 Constitution which allows the junta government to prolong its stay in power, push forward reforms in state structures and the monarchy, and also return to the people their dignity.
Benja was taken to court on 8 October, and was later denied bail. Her lawyer filed another bail request with the Appeal Court, which was also denied on the grounds that the charges carry severe penalties and that Benja had violated her previous bail conditions.
The lawyer also requested bail for Benja on charges relating to the protest in front of the German Embassy in Bangkok on 26 October 2020, which was denied on the grounds that Benja violated her previous bail conditions, which required her not to participate in activities which cause damage to the monarchy, and is currently facing other counts of the same charges. The court therefore believed that she would repeat her offense if released.
According to TLHR, at least 1,458 people are now facing charges for participating in pro-democracy protests between July 2020 and September 2021. Of this number, at least 145 people are facing royal defamation charges under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. At least 111 people are facing sedition charges under Section 116 of the Thai Criminal Code, while at least 1,171 people are facing charges for violating the Emergency Decree.
TLHR also said that, as of 14 October, 23 people are currently in detention for participating in protests: Parit Chiwarak, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, Anon Nampa, Huad, Thawee Thiangwiset, Chitipat, Chakri, Panupong Jadnok, Nat, Nawapol Tonngam, Wachirawit Limthanawong, Pawaris Yaemying, Paitoon, Suksan, Naruebet, Pichai, Jittakorn, Tha, Sith, Thu, Benja Apan, Kachen, and Kajornsak.
Of this number, five people are being detained on royal defamation charges: Parit, Jatupat, Anon, Panupong, and Benja.
In protest of the denial of bail for Anon and Benja, Joseph (pseudonym), one of the protesters facing charges for reading a statement in front of the German Embassy on 26 October 2021, wore a shirt with pictures of Anon and Benja to attend an evidence examination hearing on 11 October 2021. He also cut his arm in front of the judge as an act of protest.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Oct 20, 2021
- Event Description
On October 20, the People’s Court of Ninh Binh province convicted Facebooker Tran Quoc Khanh of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to six and half years in prison and two years of probation for his Facebook posting regarding the country’s issues. Mr. Khanh was likely forced to give up legal assistance and he had no lawyers during the trial. Unlike other political trials, his family was allowed to attend the trial and they reported that he did not confess guilty. Mr. Khanh was arrested in April prior to the parliament’s election shortly after he declared to run for a seat in the country’s highest legislative body but is considered as a rubber-stamp by international political observers.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
Case shared by Vietnam Human Rights Defenders
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Oct 18, 2021
- Event Description
On 18 October 2021, the indictment against woman human rights defender Pham Doan Trang was made public. She has been charged under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code for “propagandising against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”. The indictment is dated 30 August 2021 but was only made available to the woman human rights defender and her attorneys merely two weeks before her case goes to trial on 4 November 2021.
Pham Doan Trang is a woman human rights defender, blogger and journalist. She is the founder of online law and human rights magazine Luật Khoa, and is a member of the editorial board of The Vietnamese, an independent news website which raises public awareness about human rights and political issues in Vietnam. She recently published “Politics for All”, a book promoting citizen participation, and authored a book in 2008 on the Vietnam’s LGBTIQ+ community’s demands for equal rights.
The indictment, which was made public on 18 October 2021, accuses Pham Doan Trang under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code for which she could face up to 12 years in prison. The indictment stated that the Investigation Unit of Hanoi City’s Police formally opened the investigation on 10 September 2020. The Department of Cyber Security and High Tech Crimes under the Ministry of Public Security and the Department of Information and Communications had petitioned the investigation department to pursue legal proceedings against Pham Doan Trang.
The ‘evidence’ against the woman human rights defender recorded in the indictment includes various reports authored by her on issues such as marine life disaster, right to freedom of religion and belief and human rights situation in Vietnam.
On 6 October 2020, at around 11.30 PM, Ho Chi Minh city police, Hanoi police and Ministry of Public Security (MPS) officials had jointly raided Pham Doan Trang’s rented apartment in Ho Chi Minh. After presenting her with an arrest warrant they brought her to an undisclosed location in Ho Chi Minh where she was not allowed contact her family or lawyers. Authorities also detained her landlord who was released later in the morning of 7 October 2020. The woman human rights defender’s arrest took place just a few hours after the 2020 US-Vietnam Annual Human Rights Dialogue.
Pham Doan Trang has come under frequent harassment, persecution, and physical assault by Vietnamese authorities in recent years. She walks with a pronounced and permanent limp caused by an injury she suffered when attacked by security forces during an environmental protest in Hanoi in April 2015. More recently, she was arrested in November 2017 after meeting the EU delegation in Hanoi and was again detained and beaten in August 2018.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned that Pham Doan Trang may face a heavy prison sentence for exercising her legitimate right to freedom of expression. Front Line Defenders believes that the woman human rights defender is being targeted solely for her peaceful work in defence of human rights in Vietnam.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist, Pro-democracy defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Oct 18, 2021
- Event Description
Authorities in Myanmar have re-arrested at least 110 political prisoners freed earlier this week—some within hours of their release—suggesting that the amnesty was only a bid by the junta to appease the international community amid criticism of its rule, observers said Thursday.
Nearly nine months after the military’s Feb. 1 coup, security forces have killed 1,183 civilians and arrested at least 7,031, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)—mostly during crackdowns on anti-junta protests.
The junta says it unseated the National League for Democracy government because, they claimed, the party had engineered a landslide victory in Myanmar’s November 2020 election through widespread voter fraud. It has yet to present evidence of its claims and public unrest is at an all-time high.
On Monday, the junta released 1,316 prisoners from various facilities throughout the country as well as 4,320 detainees who faced ongoing cases for anti-junta activities, including well-known politicians, celebrities, film actors and journalists.
However, the release was ordered under Section 401 sub-section (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which states that if a detainee commits another offense after their release, they will be made to serve the remainder of punishment as well as any sentence related to the new crime.
On Thursday, the AAPP said in a statement it had documented the re-arrest of at least 110 political prisoners over the past three days, noting that its list contained only the names of people it had verified and that the number was likely much higher.
RFA’s Myanmar Service was not immediately able to confirm the total number of people re-arrested, but determined that they included detainees from Yangon, Mandalay, Meiktila and Monywa.
Family members told RFA on Thursday that some of their loved ones were re-arrested “right at the entrance of the prison,” while others were taken back within hours of returning home. The detainees are now being held in police custody under Myanmar’s anti-terrorism law, sources said.
Lay Lay Naing, an 84-year-old woman who was arrested on May 21 and sentenced to three years in prison under Section 505 (a) of the criminal code for comments that spread “false news [or] agitates directly or indirectly a criminal offense against a government employee,” and 11 others were re-arrested at the entrance to Meiktila Prison shortly after they were released in a group of 38 people on Tuesday.
“We are devastated—our mother is 84 and her health is deteriorating,” said one of her relatives, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We went to meet her at the prison, hoping that the whole family would be reunited and happy … We saw her from a distance, and she was taken away. We were not allowed to say anything. When we asked to see the prison officer, he would not see us.”
Four of the 11 detainees who were re-arrested were again released the next day, but seven remain in custody, the family member said.
Similarly, 60 detainees from Mandalay’s Pyin Oo Lwin township were released from Ohbo Prison on Tuesday, but three men and a woman from the group were re-arrested within hours by police.
Zaw Myo Htet, who was among those released from Ohbo Prison, confirmed the four were re-arrested under anti-terrorism laws.
“We were arrested on May 11 and charged under Section 505 (a), but we were released on Oct. 19 because the charges were revoked,” he said.
“Later, our lawyer called us and said one woman and two guys had been arrested again [in addition to a fourth man] … The lawyer said they were in custody for ‘violence.’ Actually, they were not involved in any violence as they claim.”
The four had been among a group arrested during a May 11 anti-junta protest in Pyin Oo Lwin, Zaw Myo Htet said, adding that some of those released under the amnesty are still being sought by police. Possible power struggle
Thet Paing Htwe was released from Yangon’s Insein Prison on Tuesday after also being charged under Section 505 (a), but a family member told RFA he was only home for 45 minutes before he was re-arrested.
“Now he is missing—he isn’t at the Insein Police Station, and I don’t know where to look for him, said the relative, who declined to be named.
“Only when the prison reopens on Oct. 22 will we be able to go there to find out. They said they were taking him back because he had been wrongly released. He was charged only with 505 (a).”
Thet Paing Htwe’s family members said he was arrested in Thingangyun township in May during anti-junta protests, as was his brother.
Khant Zin Ko, a member of the Monywa University Students’ Union, was similarly arrested after his release from Myoma Prison Camp No. 1.
A relative, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, said his re-arrest suggests there is a power struggle at play between prison officials and the military.
“The higher authorities are saying one thing and those on the ground are doing what they want,” they said.
Attempts by RFA to reach Deputy Minister of Information Zaw Min Tun by phone went unanswered Thursday, although earlier in the week he said that he was unaware of the details pertaining to re-arrests.
International pressure
Amid nationwide turmoil, the military has stepped up offensives in remote parts of the country, triggering fierce battles with local PDF militias and some of the dozens of ethnic armies that control large swathes of territory along Myanmar’s periphery. On Sept. 7, Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government declared a nationwide state of emergency and called for open rebellion against junta rule, prompting an escalation of attacks on military targets.
The junta has also faced pressure to end its repressive rule from the international community, including sanctions by Western governments and condemnation from Myanmar’s fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and the United Nations human rights agency.
The AAPP said in its statement Thursday that the military was reluctant to release political prisoners and only did so in a bid to alleviate pressure at home and abroad. The group slammed the move, saying that re-arresting people only hours after their release subjects them and their families to undue emotional stress.
Reports of the re-arrests came on the same day that New York-based Human Rights Watch issued a statement that called the amnesty, and an earlier one in late June that saw 372 detainees freed from detention, according to the AAPP, “limited in scope” and said they “do not reflect a broader change in the military’s respect for human rights.”
The group called for governments to increase pressure on the junta to “release all political prisoners, end abuses against protesters and others, and commit to promptly restore democratic rule.”
Linda Lakhdhir, the group’s Asia legal adviser, said the release should not distract from the junta’s abusive rule and noted that some of those freed had already been re-arrested.
“The junta should release all those unjustly held since the coup, including high-profile political figures, and end all arbitrary arrests,” she said.
Human Rights Watch urged concerned governments to impose tougher economic measures against the military to cut off its sources of foreign revenue and called on the United Nations Security Council to impose a global arms embargo on Myanmar.
“Governments should not mistake these releases as a sign that the junta is taking a new approach,” Lakhdhir said. “Instead, the releases appear to be a cynical gesture to blunt growing international pressure to sanction the junta and its generals.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Oct 15, 2021
- Event Description
Jerit tangisan ibu-ibu tak tertahan lagi, saat sejumlah anggota Brimob bersenjata AK 101 memborogol mereka. Para ibu dari Suku Adat Rendu di Desa Rendu, Kabupaten Nagekeo, NTT tersebut, menggelar aksi penghadangan petugas yang akan mengukur tanah adat mereka untuk Waduk Lambo.Masyarakat adat di Desa Rendu, masih belum setuju dengan rencana pemerintah membangun Waduk Lambo, karena bakal menenggelamkan tanah adat, makam keramat, dan tempat sakral untuk kegiatan ritual masyarakat adat.Para ibu rumah tangga yang bersikukuh melakukan penghadangan pengukuran tanah adat ini, kaget begitu melihat anggota Brimob yang mengendarai sejumlah motor trail, lengkap dengan senjata laras panjang, helm baja, dan rompi anti peluru menghampiri serta langsung memborogol tangan para ibu peserta aksi.Petugas pengukuran lahan langsung menyerobot masuk ke lokasi yang rencana akan dibangun waduk tersebut. Para ibu rumah tangga itu menangis histeris, menyaksikan petugas mulai mengukur tanah adat mereka dengan pengawalan ketat anggota Brimob.
Hermina Mawar, salah seorang ibu rumah tangga yang turut diborgol tangannya oleh anggota Brimob, mengaku sangat kecewa tanah adat yang secara turutn-temurun ditempati masyarakat adat Rendu bakal ditenggelamkan oleh pembangunan waduk. "Itu tanah ulayat. Tanah adat. Tanah leluhur kami. Di tanah itu ada makam leluhur kami yang selalu kami hormati. Tempat itu juga menjadi lokasi ritual adat kami. Sampai kapanpun kami akan menolak pembangunan waduk," tutur Hermina Mawar.
Hingah saat ini, masyarakat Adat Rendu masih terus berjaga-jaga di pintu masuk desanya. Mereka bersiap menghadang berbagai upaya untuk pembangunan waduk tersebut, karena sebagian tanah adat di lokasi yang akan dibangun waduk, mereka nilai sebagai tanah suci.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Land rights, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Indigenous peoples' rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Oct 13, 2021
- Event Description
Demo sekelompok mahasiswa di depan Kantor Bupati Tangerang, Banten, berujung ricuh. Polisi membubarkan massa dan mengamankan 18 orang mahasiswa.
"18 orang (diamankan)," ujar Kapolresta Tangerang Kombes Wahyu Sri Bintoro saat dimintai konfirmasi detikcom, Rabu (13/10/2021).
Wahyu tidak memberikan penjelasan lebih detail soal identitas 18 mahasiswa yang diamankan itu. Belum diketahui juga apakah para mahasiswa itu sudah dipulangkan atau belum.
Sementara itu, Wahyu menegaskan pihaknya telah memberikan pengarahan kepada personel yang melakukan pengamanan. Dalam apel tersebut, Wahyu menekankan kepada anggota agar tidak melakukan kekerasan dan melaksanakan pengamanan dengan humanis.
"Sudah di-APP (beri pengarahan) tidak ada tindakan atau gerakan tambahan seperti memukul, tetap lakukan secara humanis," imbuh Wahyu. Polisi-Mahasiswa Sempat Dorong-dorongan
Demonstrasi tersebut berlangsung pada siang tadi di depan kantor Bupati Tangerang. Demo bertepatan dengan peringatan hari ulang tahun Kabupaten Tangerang ke-389.
Wakapolresta Tangerang AKBP Leonard M Sinambela mengatakan aksi mahasiswa tersebut hendak menuntut Bupati Tangerang atas beberapa persoalan. Namun saat itu Bupati sedang tidak berada di lokasi lantaran sedang ada beberapa kegiatan.
"Mereka itu menuntut Bupati menemui padahal kan tidak ada Bupati kan kegiatan paripurna dan kegiatan rangkaian lainnya," kata Leonard saat dihubungi terpisah.
Leonard juga mengatakan dalam aksi itu massa dan pihak kepolisian sempat terlibat dorong-dorongan. Hingga akhirnya polisi menangkap sejumlah peserta demo.
"Ya mereka yang mendorong-dorong, mereka yang maksa para petugas akhirnya kan diamankan, dibawa ke Polres sekarang dimintai keterangan," tambahnya.
Leonard menyampaikan, aksi tersebut tidak mengantongi izin dari pihak kepolisian, mengingat situasi saat ini masih pandemi COVID-19.
"Jadi gini, intinya dari Polresta Tangerang melakukan kegiatan pengamanan kegiatan penyampaian pendapat. Teman-teman ini juga pada prinsipnya kan tidak dikasih surat izin demo karena kan kita masih status PPKM level 3," jelas Leonard.
Brigadir NP polisi, pelaku smackdown mahasiswa di Tangerang diberi sanksi hukuman penahanan selama 21 hari. Ia juga mendapatkan teguran tertulis dan didemosi dari jabatannya di satuan Reskrim dengan tidak diberikan kewenangan untuk penyelidikan dan penyidikan.
Persidangan Brigadir NP dipimpin oleh Kapolresta Tangerang Kombes Wahyu Sri Bintoro dan mendapatkan supervise dari Promam Polri. Persidangan di Polda Banten dan dihadiri oleh Fariz selaku korban dan ditemani oleh ketiga rekanya.
"Terhadap saudara NP telah sah dan meyakinkan melakukan pelangagran aturan disiplin Polri. Dia benar secara fakta melakukan pelanggaran atura disiplin. NP diberikan sanksi terberat dan berlapis. Apa saja, mulai dari penahanan di tempat khusus selama 21 hari, jadi dilanjutkan sejak putusan ini, dia berada di tempat tahanan khusus Propam Polda Banten," kata Kabid Humas Polda Banten AKBP Shinto Silitongga di Serang, Kamis (21/10/2021). Sanksi demosi sebagai bintara di Polresta Tangerang adalah tidak diberikannya kewenangan tugas pada yang bersangkutan. Selain itu, ia diberi teguran secara tertulis. Teguran ini, oleh Kabid diklaim bisa mengakibatkan secara administrasi berimbas pada kenaikan pangkat dan jadi kendala mengikuti pendidikan lanjutan di kepolisian.
Dalam persidangan disiplin ini, Brigadir NP dinilai melakukan tindakan eksesif dan di luar prosedur. Ia juga dinilai tidak mengindahkan perintah atasan dan menimbulkan korban.
"Terakhir tindakan NP dapat menjatuhkan nama baik Polri," ujarnya.
Di putusan, katanya memang tidak ada kata-kata penurunan pangkat pada brigadir NP. Tapi, ia sebut teguran tertulis itu bisa menjadi kendala dalam pendidikannya ke depan. "Untuk penurunan pangkat tidak diberikan di putusan. Tapi sanksi teguran tertulis akan jadi kendala besar bagi yang bersangkutan untuk prosesi kenaikan pangkat pada jenjang lain," ujarnya.
- Impact of Event
- 18
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Oct 12, 2021
- Event Description
An anti-logging activist was on Tuesday convicted of assault against an alleged timber trader, as rights groups linked the verdict to ongoing harassment and intimidation against environmentalists in the country.
The Kampong Thom Provincial Court sentenced Chan Thoeun, who is in hiding, to two years’ imprisonment, but suspended the sentence, according to his lawyer Sam Sokong.
Sokong said the judge had also downgraded the charge from attempted murder to intentional violence with aggravating circumstances.
Thoeun has previously said that he saw a timber trader hauling timber from a community forest in July last year, but was threatened at knifepoint when he pulled out his phone to capture footage, alleging that he was the victim, not the aggressor.
Sokong said that although the two-year sentence was suspended, he considered the court’s decision unfair because his client was the victim. “We see that [the court] has not yet been given justice to the client,” he said.
Thoeun, who is a member of the Prey Lang Community Network in Kampong Thom province, said he would appeal the conviction.
“It is an injustice against me. When it comes to many huge crimes of timber [trafficking], they do not prosecute them. But they sue me and accuse me, and it is unjust,” he said. “I do not accept it because I did not do anything wrong and they came to take my phone and prosecuted me. I will appeal to the Appeal Court. The decision is unacceptable since I am a victim.”
Cambodian Center for Human Rights executive director Chak Sopheap said members of the Prey Lang Community Network have been facing harassment as well as physical and legal threats. Environmentalists should not be facing such actions under a democracy, she said.
“I hope that the government should reconsider its commitment to the protection of natural resources, and that commitment can only be achieved with the participation of local communities,” Sopheap said. “As long as local communities that are active in protecting the environment remain under threat, it contradicts the government’s claimed commitment.”
The network, which works to protect the massive Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary, has been banned from conducting patrols since last year. Environmentalists have been arrested in the protected area, and the U.S. this year pulled funding to the government for Prey Lang-related projects, citing continued logging, failure to prosecute timber traders and silencing of environmentalists. Other environmentalists have also been jailed and charged with plotting against the government.
Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for campaigns, said Thoeun should never have been charged or tried, and his conviction fit a pattern of silencing and intimidating environmental activists in Prey Lang and across Cambodia.
“Chan Thoeun and the PLCN have been standing up against powerful illegal logging interests for years,” Hah said. “They have defended the Prey Lang forest while the Cambodian authorities have turned a blind eye to the rampant destruction of this vital ecosystem, which is an essential part of the culture of indigenous Kuy communities.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to fair trial
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Oct 9, 2021
- Event Description
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered the arrest of a former monk and forestry activist living in exile who shared a disparaging poem about the country’s strongman on social media, RFA has learned.
Voeun Veasna currently resides in neighboring Thailand. A Khmer Times report on Oct. 11 described him as a 35-year-old activist affiliated with the banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).
On Oct. 9, Voeun Veasna used his Facebook account under the name Kranhoung Preylang to post a poem titled ‘Hun Sen is a Traitor’ on the prime minister’s own Facebook page. The poem criticized Sen for amending Cambodia’s constitution, thereby “destroying the country.”
The poem also accused Hun Sen of allowing Cambodia’s forests to be destroyed during his rule.
Hun Sen quickly responded to Voeun Veasna’s poem, calling it an expression of “extremist theory,” and called for his arrest, according to the Khmer Times report.
“Now there are extremist rebels left that need to be eliminated for peace to be maintained,” the report quoted Hun Sen as saying.
Hun Sen said that he hoped the police would track Voeun Veasna down, whether he was inside or outside the country.
Speaking from exile in Thailand, Voeun Veasna told RFA’s Khmer Service that his opinion on Hun Sen remains unchanged.
“I commented on Hun Sen’s Facebook because ever since I was born, I have not seen Hun Sen do anything to benefit his country and his people,” he said.
“Hun Sen has looked the other way as his powerful friends… stole land from the people. People are crying throughout the country, but Hun Sen has ignored them.”
The former monk said that his poem reveals the truth of Hun Sen’s leadership, andthat he plans to continue speaking out against the strongman.
“I am concerned about my security, but I don’t know what to do when this regime likes bloodshed,” he said.
Even though Hun Sen ordered his arrest this week, Voeun Veasna said that the Phnom Penh Municipal Court had already charged him with incitement in May and ordered his arrest. He said he would be arrested if he were to return to Cambodia.
Hun Sen, as a public figure, is not immune from criticism, and the government’s role should be to educate the public rather than punish them for their political opinions, Soeung Sengkaruna, spokesperson for the local ADHOC NGO told RFA.
“Our country is not open to criticism and has taken many actions against expression,” he said.
Cambodia’s Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017, two months after arresting its president Kem Sokha over an alleged plot to overthrow the government. Scores of supporters of the group have since been incarcerated, awaiting a tortuous legal process made slower by COVID-19 restrictions.
The move came amid a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the country’s political opposition, independent media, and NGOs that allowed the CPP to win all 125 seats in parliament in a July 2018 election and drew U.S. sanctions and the suspension of trade privileges with the European Union.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Online
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 7, 2021
- Event Description
The Observatory has been informed about the arbitrary detention and ongoing judicial harassment of Ms. Benja Apan, a student and pro-democracy activist with the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) [1], on lèse-majesté charges in relation with the August 10, 2021 pro-democracy protest.
On October 7, 2021, Benja Apan was arrested at the Lumpini Police Station, Bangkok, where she had gone to hear a charge of violating the Emergency Decree for participating in a pro-democracy protest on September 3, 2021, at Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection. The police arrested Ms. Benja on the basis of another outstanding arrest warrant issued against her under Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code (“lèse-majesté”) [2], the Emergency Decree [3], and the Communicable Diseases Act. These charges stem from Ms. Benja’s participation in a pro-democracy protest on August 10, 2021, in front of the Sino-Thai Tower building on Asoke Road in Bangkok, during which she gave a speech that criticized the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and called for the reform of the Thai monarchy. Later on October 7, police took Ms. Benja to Bangkok’s Thong Lo Police station where she was detained overnight after being denied bail.
On October 8, 2021, Benja Apan appeared before the Bangkok South Criminal Court, which denied her bail arguing that the offenses of which she is accused carry a heavy penalty and that she previously committed the same offenses. Benja Apan was then taken to the Central Women’s Correctional Institution in Bangkok, where she was still being detained at the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal. Ms. Benja is currently facing a total of six charges under Article 112 of the Criminal Code and she could face up to 90 years in prison, if tried and found guilty on all counts.
The Observatory notes with concern that between November 24, 2020, and October 8, 2021, 150 people, including many human rights defenders, were charged under Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. Some of them - Anon Nampa, Parit Chiwarak, Panupong Chadnok, and Jatuphat Boonpattararaksa - remain detained pending trial.
The Observatory condemns the arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of Benja Apan, Anon Nampa, Parit Chiwarak, Panupong Chadnok and Jatuphat Boonpattararaksa,which seem to be only aimed at punishing them for their legitimate human rights activities and the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly.
The Observatory calls on the Thai authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the five human rights defenders and to put an end to the judicial harassment against them and all other human rights defenders in the country.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Oct 6, 2021
- Event Description
Two more were arrested by combined elements of the police and military in Quezon province, yesteray, October 6, at around 2:00 am.
According to Karapatan-Southern Tagalog, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Batangas Spokesperson Erlindo “Lino” Baez and Anakpawis Partylist Batangas Coordinator Willy Capareño were arrested in sitio Centro, barangay Manggalang 1, Sariaya, Quezon province by no less than 50 members of the Sariaya police and the Philippine Army’s 59th Infantry Battalion.
The arrest was made by virtue of a warrant of arrest on charges against Baez for illegal possession of firearms and explosives. A press release from the CALABARZON Police Regional Office meanwhile tagged Baez and Capareño as “high-ranking members” of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Both Baez and Capareño are no strangers to red-tagging and state harassment. The warrant issued against Baez came from the March 7 raid of his home in Santo Tomas, Batangas, where police and military supposedly “found” firearms and explosives. The raid was part of “Bloody Sunday”, which resulted in the deaths of nine activists and the arrests of seven others.
No warrant was issued for Capareño; however, he was allegedly found to be in possession of one hand-grenade. It is not yet clear what the charges against Capareño are.
Baez is the head of a family of activists. His son, Ronilo, is a political prisoner currently detained since June 3, 2010 on charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. He was one of three activists arrested in Taysan while they were integrating in a farming community.
Another son, Edrean, was a member of Anakbayan before he was killed by state forces on May 26, 2021 near Padre Garcia, Batangas, in a supposed “encounter” between members of the New People’s Army.
In 2019, Capareño received a text message from someone he does not know, telling him to go back to his home in San Juan, Batangas or else he would be arrested. This threat was part of a series of harassment against known leaders and progressives in the province.
Baez and Capareño’s arrest come one day shy of seven months since Bloody Sunday. Progressives in Southern Tagalog have long since contended that Bloody Sunday marked an “intensification of crackdown” against activists and community leaders in the region.
Multiple reports of human rights violations have come to light since March 7, including the murder of labor leader Dandy Miguel on March 28; the disappearance of former Kabataan Partylist coordinator Kemuel Ian Cometa on May 21; the arrest of peasant organizers Dana Marcellana and Christian Relao on June 25, as well as multiple icidents of threats, harassment, and intimidation by state forces.
Youth organization Gabriela Youth Quezon has called the arrests “a manifestation that despite the crisis caused by the pandemic, there is a proliferation of harassment of silencing against progressive individuals who are fighting for people’s rights.” Other groups have similarly called for the immediate release of Baez and Capareño.
Both Baez and Capareño’s families have yet to make contact with their loved ones. Initial reports indicate that they were brought to the Sariaya Municipal Police Station but no confirmation has been made yet as of press time. Karapatan-Southern Tagalog is currently spearheading efforts to locate the two activists and ensure their safety.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Vilification
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security, Right to protect reputation
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 5, 2021
- Event Description
Chiang Mai University student and performance artist Withaya Khlangnin is facing another royal defamation charge for staging a performance in front of the university on 1 May 2021 to demand the release of detained activists.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that, according to the police, Withaya’s performance amounts to royal defamation because it involved climbing onto the university sign, above which was a portrait of the King and a sign saying “Long live the King.” Withaya also poured red paint all over himself, which the police said was unsightly, and spilled paint over the university sign and the image of the King. The police also said that the gestures Withaya used during the performance, such as standing with a paint bucket over his head, and lying down with one foot pointing up at the portrait of the king, was disrespectful.
Withaya went to Phuping Rajanivej Police Station on Tuesday (5 October) to hear the charges. He was dressed as Luffy from the Japanese manga One Piece, and staged a short performance before going to meet the inquiry officer.
TLHR reported that at least 60 police officers were stationed in the area, while the police station was surrounded with metal fences. The police also tried to stop a small crowd of supporters from going inside the police station area. Officers were taking photos and videos of people, and repeatedly made announcements that gatherings are prohibited under the Emergency Decree. Withaya was released after his meeting with the inquiry officer. He has to report to the police again in 12 days, and has to submit further testimony in 20 days.
Withaya is currently facing 2 counts of lèse majesté under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. Along with Yotsunthon Ruttapradid, another Chiang Mai University student, he was previously charged under Section 112 and the 1979 Flag Act for a piece of installation art during a protest on 14 March 2021, which featured a mannequin wrapped in plastic in the middle of two red and white strips, on which participants at the 14 March protest were invited to write down messages. The messages were seen as defaming the King, and since the piece looks like a Thai flag without the blue stripe, which represents the monarchy, it was taken to mean that the artist does not wish the monarchy to exist in the country.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline
- HRD
- Artist, Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Oct 5, 2021
- Event Description
Wai Yan Phyo Moe, the vice president of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), was charged with violating Section 505a of the Penal Code for incitement at the Mayangone Township court in Yangon this week, according to his lawyer.
Lawyer Thet Naung told Myanmar Now that they heard about new charges against Wai Yan Phyo Moe during his other hearings in the Kyauktada and Kamayut township courts on Tuesday.
“We haven’t seen him for a while as the offices and prisons have been closed. We only learnt briefly about this Section 505 charge during his court hearings at Kyauktada and Kamayut courts,” he said.
The lawyer said he has not submitted a power of attorney document for the new charge, which would allow him to represent Wai Yan Phyo Moe at hearings in Mayangone.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe was already facing charges for the violation of Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law in Kyauktada for allegedly breaking rules surrounding demonstrations, as well as for incitement in both Kyauktada and Kamayut.
If convicted, each incitement charge carries a three-year prison sentence and the Section 19 charge is accompanied by a three-month sentence and/or a fine.
Many detained anti-junta protesters have been charged in different townships where they led or participated in demonstrations on the pretext that they allegedly broke the law by taking part in rallies after the February 1 military coup.
Thet Naung said that Wai Yan Phyo Moe had been held in Insein Prison since his arrest in March.
He noted that his client was in good health but that he was concerned because Wai Yan Phyo Moe had initially been placed in a cell with violent offenders instead of other political prisoners.
“We’ve requested that the prison authorities move him and they agreed to, but they haven’t actually moved him yet. It’s been too long already,” Thet Naung explained.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe was one of around 500 civilians arrested during a crackdown on the General Strike Committee’s protest column in Yangon’s Tamwe Township on March 3.
Seven detained student activists including Wai Yan Phyo Moe were placed in solitary confinement for one week after they refused to read the prison rules out loud on April 22, a punitive measure typically demanded of inmates by prison officials. They were later sent to the prison ward where those convicted of violent crimes are held, and have reportedly been asked for bribes, forced to do hard labour, and have received death threats.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Minority Rights, Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Oct 4, 2021
- Event Description
Vietnamese authorities on Monday arrested a Facebook user, charging him with “abusing freedom and democracy” for writing a series of online posts they said had defamed the country’s leaders, state media reported on Monday.
Vo Hoang Tho, 36 years old and a resident of the Ninh Kieu district of southern Vietnam’s Can Tho City, had published 47 posts on his Minh Long Facebook page criticizing government efforts to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in the one-party communist state, media sources said.
Containment efforts, including community lockdowns and other harsh restrictions, are widely unpopular in Vietnam, and Tho’s arrest was just the latest in a continuing crackdown on Facebook users who use the popular social media platform to voice dissenting views.
Can Tho City’s Investigation Agency said Tho had formerly worked as a journalist but did not identify the media organization for which he worked.
RFA has reported nearly 30 cases in which Vietnamese citizens have been arrested for political offenses over social media posts since the beginning of this year. Among those now serving sentences for Facebook posts are journalists, bloggers, and another citizen who had posted complaints about coronavirus policies.
On Sept. 10, Vietnamese authorities arrested and charged a woman with “carrying out activities to overthrow the government,” making her the third person apprehended this year for joining an exile Vietnamese organization called a terrorist group by Hanoi, according to state media reports.
Le Thi Kim Phi, 62, had used a Facebook profile under the name Phi Kim to connect with members of the Provisional Government of Vietnam, a U.S.-based opposition group, said the investigation division of southern An Gian province’s police department.
And on Sept. 8, authorities in Can Tho indicted five journalists from the Bao Sach (Clean Newspaper) Facebook-based news outlet for publishing reports and videos dealing with politically sensitive social issues.
Vietnam’s already low tolerance of dissent deteriorated sharply last year with a spate of arrests of independent journalists, publishers, and Facebook personalities as authorities continued to stifle critics in the run-up to the ruling Communist Party Congress in January. But arrests continue in 2021.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Online, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Oct 3, 2021
- Event Description
Junta authorities arrested the teenaged president of the Basic Education Students’ Union of Naypyitaw’s Zabuthiri Township at his home earlier this week, according to the group.
Tun Aung Kyaw, age 15, was taken into detention by two police officers and two local administrators, a spokesperson for the Naypyitaw Students’ Union said.
It is said that the military units arrested Tun Aung Kyaw, the president of the basic education students’ union of Zabuthiri township, Naypyidaw, at his home on October 3 evening.
“He is technically a minor, so they said that they just had some questions to ask and that they’d let him go soon,” he told Myanmar Now.
At the time of reporting, the boy was still being held at the No. 3 police station in Zabuthiri and had not been allowed contact with his family, the student union representative said.
At 10pm on Tuesday, military troops reportedly ransacked his house.
Myanmar Now called the police station for comment on Tun Aung Kyaw’s arrest but the calls went unanswered.
Another Naypyitaw student leader, Yan Paing, was arrested by the military on May 2 and died on October 1 during an interrogation, according to a statement released by the Naypyitaw Students’ Union.
According to the statistics reported by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), there have now been at least 7,104 civilians detained by the junta since the February 1 coup and at least 1,158 civilians killed during that same period.
As they have been active in participating in anti-coup demonstrations, student union members have been frequent targets of military arrests, but the exact number of students in detention is not known.
Most recently, four students preparing to protest against the junta were arrested near the Pathi dam in Taungoo Township, Bago Region on the evening of September 19.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Oct 1, 2021
- Event Description
3 members of the activist group Thalufah were denied bail after 15 members of the group surrendered to the police yesterday (1 October) over an arrest warrant issued with regard to an incident on 3 August 2021 when they splashed paint in front of Thung Song Hong Police Station.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the police initially said the activists would be granted bail on a security of 10,000 baht per person. However, Metropolitan Police Division 2 Deputy Commander Pol Col Saksit Meesawat later told the activists they would be taken to court for a temporary detention request. The police claimed that the temporary detention request was necessary because they have not finished the case report for submision to the public prosecutor.
12 activists were later granted bail on a security of 35,000 baht each, but 3 were denied bail. The three had previously been arrested during the 13 October 2020 protest at the Democracy Monument, and according to TLHR, the court denied them bail on the grounds that they had violated their previous bail conditions. However, TLHR noted that the bail conditions were set on 21 September 2021, which was after the incident on 3 August 2021.
TLHR said that they filed another bail request for the 3 activists today (2 October), but the request was once again denied.
On 3 August 2021, the activists splashed paint in front of Thung Song Hong Police Station following their release after spending a night in detention on charges relating to a protest at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on 2 August to demand that the police return a speaker truck seized after the 1 August ‘car mob’ rally.
Activists Jatupat Boonpattarasaksa and Thawee Thiangwiset, who are also Thalufah members, had surrendered themselves at Thung Song Hong Police Station on 9 August 2021. They were charged with violating the Emergency Decree, damaging public property, and taking part in an assembly of more than 10 people which caused a breach of public peace. On the same day, activist Songpol Sonthirak, another Thalufah member, was also arrested.
The Criminal Court later granted bail to Tawee and Songpol on a security of 35,000 baht, but denied bail to Jatupat on the grounds that he faces other charges for similar offenses, had broken his bail conditions which prohibited him from repeating these offenses, and was likely to flee or cause danger if he is released. Jatupat has been repeatedly denied bail and is still in detention at the Bangkok Remand Prison.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Sep 30, 2021
- Event Description
Student activist Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon has been indicted on a royal defamation charge related to a speech she gave at a protest on 24 March 2021, in which she said that the monarchy must reform itself in order to survive.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said on Thursday (30 September) that the public prosecutor at the Southern Bangkok Department of Criminal Litigation has decided to indict Patsaravalee for royal defamation under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, or the lèse majesté law, and a violation of the Emergency Decree charge resulting from her participation in the 24 March 2021 protest at the Ratchaprasong Intersection.
During the protest, Patsaravalee gave a speech calling for the King to conduct himself in a manner that befits the head of the state. She also said that the King’s expansion of power will endanger the institution of the monarchy, and that even though an absolute monarchy can be created, it can also fall in the next reign.
She made 3 demands to develop the institution of the monarchy: having a single, inseparable armed force, ending intervention in any political groups by the monarchy, and quickly returning public assets which have been transferred to the King’s personal ownership.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 30, 2021
- Event Description
Aksi Peringatan Hari Oligarki dan G30S/TWK oleh Aksi Kamisan yang tergabung dalam Aliansi Semarang Raya di Kantor Gubernuran, Kamis (30/09) berakhir ricuh. Dalam Press Release yang dilaksanakan pada Kamis (30/09) pukul 19.30 WIB, disebutkan bahwa terdapat tujuh massa aksi yang mendapat tindakan represif dari aparat kepolisian, yakni:
G – Mahasiswa Undip RH – Mahasiswa Undip BG – Mahasiswa Undip G – Mahasiswa Undip MS – LPM Hayam Wuruk NC – Walhi Jawa Tengah CG – PBH LBH Semarang
Kericuhan ini dinilai karena pembubaran paksa oleh aparat, mengingat dalam Pasal 6 ayat (2) Perkap Nomor 9 Tahun 2008 telah diatur bahwa aksi di tempat terbuka dapat dilakukan pukul 06.00 – 18.00 WIB, lalu dilanjutkan Pasal 13 ayat (1) huruf b Undang-Undang Nomor 9 Tahun 1998 tentang koordinasi antara koordinator aksi dengan Polri apabila aksi dilaksanakan hingga larut malam. Dalam kericuhan tersebut, polisi menangkap mahasiswa yang dianggap sempat meneriaki polisi dengan kata-kata yang tidak pantas.
“Tadi mereka meneriaki kami dengan kata-kata tak pantas,” terang Wakasat Sabhara Polrestabes Semarang, Kompol R Justinus, dikutip dari TribunJateng.com.
Pernyataan ini mendapat tanggapan dari CG, salah satu massa aksi yang mendapat tindakan represif dari aparat. Menurutnya, mahasiswa tidak dapat dianggap sebagai penyebab kericuhan mengingat upaya pembubaran oleh aparat telah dilakukan sejak pukul 17.45 WIB.
“Sebelum jam berakhir, ancaman pembubaran sudah ada. Kalau disebutkan penyebabnya mahasiswa dan berakibat represif, tidak masuk akal. Kami juga tidak mengucapkan kata-kata kasar kepada polisi, melainkan kepada UU Ciptaker,” jelasnya.
Selain itu, polisi menuding kegiatan aksi ini tidak memiliki izin. Gusti sebagai salah satu massa aksi menyangkal tudingan tersebut dengan mengatakan bahwa dalam pasal 10 Undang-Undang Nomor 9 Tahun 1998 tidak disebutkan perlunya izin dalam aksi, melainkan pemberitahuan tertulis yang ditujukan kepada Polri.
“Kami sudah mengirimkan surat pemberitahuan pada 29 September siang,” ujarnya saat diwawancarai langsung oleh awak Manunggal.
CG menyayangkan tindakan aparat yang langsung membubarkan paksa massa aksi, alih-alih berkoordinasi dengan koordinator aksi. Padahal, dalam pasal 7 Undang-Undang Nomor 9 Tahun 1998 tentang Hak dan Kewajiban dijelaskan bahwa aparat pemerintah berkewajiban dan bertanggung jawab untuk melindungi hak asasi manusia, menghargai asas legalitas, menghargai prinsip praduga tak bersalah, dan menyelenggarakan pengamanan.
“Polisi membubarkan massa aksi dengan tindakan kekerasan. Beberapa di antaranya: pukulan pada pelipis mata, muka, kepala bagian belakang, tendangan ke arah perut dan bagian rusuk,” tutup CG.
Aksi yang dilakukan di Gubernuran Jawa Tengah tersebut bertepatan dengan pemecatan 58 pegawai Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) yang tidak lolos Tes Wawasan Kebangsaan (TWK).
Perwakilan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) Semarang, Dhika, mengatakan aksi dimulai sekitar pukul 16.00 WIB dengan titik kumpul di patung kuda Pleburan.
“Lagi-lagi negara mengerahkan kekuatan berlebih untuk memberangus kebebasan berpendapat,” ucapnya dalam rilis yang dibagikan, dikutip Pikiran-Rakyat.com, Jumat, 1 Oktober 2021.
Setelah berkumpul, massa kemudian melakukan long march ke titik aksi di Kantor Gubernur Jawa Tengah.
Pada aksi ini, massa melakukan berbagai kegiatan seperti orasi, musikalisasi puisi, dan aksi teatrikal.
“Sekitar 17.45 WIB, sesaat sebelum aksi teatrikal dimulai, aparat Kepolisian keluar dari gerbang kantor Gubernur dan memaksa massa aksi untuk bubar, dengan alasan sudah lewat waktu yang ditetapkan Undang-Undang,” tutur Dhika.
Padahal, berdasarkan penjelasan Pasal 13 ayat (1) huruf b UU Nomor 9 Tahun 1998 tentang kemerdekaan menyampaikan pendapat di muka umum, anggota Polisi diwajibkan berkoordinasi dengan koordinator aksi.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to Protest
- HRD
- NGO staff, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 30, 2021
- Event Description
Polisi membubarkan dan menangkap aktivis Papua yang akan melakukan aksi unjuk rasa di depan Kantor Kedutaan Besar Amerika Serikat di Jakarta Pusat, Kamis (30/9/2021) siang. Salah satu peserta aksi, Ambrosius Mulait, mengungkapkan bahwa massa aksi yang berjumlah 17 orang langsung diangkut paksa begitu tiba di depan Kedubes AS. "Kami belum aksi sama sekali, sudah dipaksa naik ke mobil dalmas (pengendalian masyarakat)," kata Ambrosius saat dikonfirmasi, Kamis. Ambrosius juga menyebutkan, polisi melakukan tindakan represif saat mengamankan peserta unjuk rasa dengan menyemprot gas air mata hingga terjadi bentrok fisik. "Ada teman-teman kami yang dapat pukul dari aparat," katanya. Kapolres Jakarta Pusat Kombes Hengki Hariyadi membenarkan ada 17 aktivis Papua yang diamankan. Hengki menyebutkan, petugas kepolisian tak membolehkan aksi unjuk rasa itu karena saat ini Jakarta masih berstatus pemberlakuan pembatasan kegiatan masyarakat (PPKM) level 3 untuk mencegah Covid-19. "Jadi intinya pada saat PPKM level 3 ini bahwa segala kegiatan yang berpotensi menimbulkan kerumunan itu dilarang, dalam hal ini penyampaian pendapat di muka umum ini dilaksanakan mereka tanpa izin, kemudian tanpa rekomendasi dari pihak pengamanan," kata Hengki. Adapun aksi unjuk rasa yang digelar para aktivis Papua ini bertujuan untuk menyampaikan enam tuntutan, yakni:
- Aksi dalam rangka memperingati Roma Agreement yang ke-59.
- Mendesak Presiden Joko Widodo menarik anggota TNI-Polri yang ada di Papua karena membuat situasi masyarakat Papua tidak nyaman
- Bebaskan tahanan politik Victor Yeimo yang mengalami sakit dan ditahan di Mako Brimob Jayapura
- Menolak perpanjangan otsus karena dianggap sudah gagal menyejahterakan masyarakat Papua
- Berikan hak untuk penentuan nasib sendiri (referendum)
- Menolak Rrasisme dan tuntaskan pelanggaran HAM di Papua.
- Impact of Event
- 17
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Sep 29, 2021
- Event Description
On September 29, citizen journalist Tran Thi Tuyet Dieu’s eight-year sentence under Vietnam’s Penal Code was upheld in the court of appeal in Danang. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the use of the Penal Code to silence critical voices and calls for the immediate release of Tuyet Dieu.
Tuyet Dieu’s appeal was refused in Danang’s court, more than a year after her arrest and detainment on August 21, 2020. She was sentenced on April 23, 2021 for breaching article 117 of the Vietnamese penal code, which criminalises “creating, storing and disseminating information and materials against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”. Reports indicate that Tuyet Dieu endured ongoing harassment by police in the years before her arrest.
Previously an employee of a state-run newspaper, Tuyet Dieu had managed a Facebook and YouTube account where she published 25 articles and nine videos considered ‘anti-state’ by authorities. During a search of Tuyet Dieu’s home, authorities found materials sympathetic to the imprisoned pro-democracy activist Nguyen Viet Dung on her laptop.
According to Tuyet Dieu’s lawyer, Nguyen Kha Thanh, she pleaded innocent at her trial earlier this year. Thanh said that his client’s sentence was harsh given she had an otherwise clean record.
“She did not accept the accusations as the trial failed to find a person harmed by her actions,” Thanh said.“But the court said her actions caused harm to the nation, a common tactic that allows them to not have to show any specific harmed individuals,” he added.
Tuyet Dieu’s communication with her lawyer and relatives was barred for the first three months of her imprisonment. Her original trial was postponed without justification, a change only announced upon her lawyer’s arrival in court.
Article 117 of Vietnam’s Penal Code is a vaguely defined piece of legislation commonly used to silence criticism of the Vietnamese government. Journalists Pham Chi Thanh and Le Van Dung, both vocal critics of Vietnam’s single-party system, were sentenced under the article earlier this year.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Related Events
- Vietnam: Media worker sentenced to 8 years in prison
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Sep 28, 2021
- Event Description
A journalist is being questioned by police after Defense Minister Tea Banh, head of the CPP working group for Koh Kong, apparently instructed local officials about taking legal action and countering the journalist’s criticism of a deputy governor.
Youn Chhiv, who runs the Koh Kong Hot News website, was purportedly part of the land dispute himself while reporting that authorities were evicting people from state land they had farmed for years.
In his reports, Chhiv said authorities were violating Prime Minister Hun Sen’s call last year to grant land titles to ordinary people who had long-standing claims on state land.
An audio recording, shared with VOD, appears to show Defense Minister Banh instructing Koh Kong officials to take action against Chhiv. Several government-aligned media outlets have reported on Banh’s instructions, including some that quoted from the recording. Koh Kong provincial information department director Mom Malika said the recording could have been shared in a group with provincial officials, but declined to elaborate. Banh could not be reached for comment.
Banh’s purported voice in the recording says he told provincial governor Mithona Phouthorng to pursue a lawsuit against Chhiv.
“Just a moment ago I told Mithona to check and to discuss with the provincial law expert to file a lawsuit against him. He twisted the truth and promoted bad ideas, and we need to clarify it,” it says. “We have to make urgent reports to send to all the places about the administration’s actions against encroachers of land.”
He would call on Fresh News staffers to help spread information that would correct Chhiv’s video reports, it adds.
“In there, there is a Fresh News representative, and [we will] send it to him to help disseminate that the video twisted the truth,” the recording says. “Take action quickly, and should not be silent, and they will disseminate it all over the place. It has caused a mess and issues, destroying reputations. [We’re] discussing it with a legal expert and handling it.”
Other media would also be enlisted to help, it says.
“[We] urgently need to discuss with the media in the province and attack him first, directly, with his name,” it says. “All media should publish it in advance, and [then] make a written letter and consult with the legal expert to send the case in time. [We] should not allow this. It is unacceptable.”
Chhiv had made a mistake when he “attacked the administration’s measures,” it says.
“He has violated and attacked the administration’s measures, and if we do not handle this carefully, we cannot control the state, and the state needs to take action against the violator through administrative measures,” it says, noting that villagers were told to leave but failed to follow instructions.
In one of Chhiv’s videos, he interviews three villagers who say they came to live on the land, in Botom Sakor district, in 2007. They say authorities have this year been destroying their cashew trees, sugarcane and cassava plants to try to evict them without compensation. About 130 officers from police, military police and local administrations had come to clear their land, they say.
“People survive through their farmland, but now they have cleared it all. So where can people plant their crops and rice?” one villager asks, pleading for help from Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defense Minister Banh.
“Our authorities have not followed samdech’s remarks. They might know that samdech would lose [power] one day, so they do this and they do not follow samdech,” the villager says in the video. “They do not look after the people and they only destroy people.”
Chhiv says in the video that villagers come to his office and ask for his help, telling him they’ve been threatened with arrest. “Do they not know where the provincial governor is?” he asks.
He also mentions sub-decrees that have privatized over 100,000 hectares of Koh Kong parks, ostensibly to give titles to villagers using the land. He asks why the villagers are not being given titles, but being evicted instead.
In one Facebook post, Chhiv directly criticizes deputy governor Sok Sothy, saying the official is breaking people’s hearts.
Botum Sakor district police chief Sok Phon said on Tuesday afternoon that Chhiv had come in that day for questioning at the police station.
“Our police, with the deputy provincial chief, are in the process of questioning. … We have questioned him for about four hours, and we do not know yet [whether to send him to court]. Wait until the work has finished,” Phon said.
The provincial administration, meanwhile, issued a statement on Sunday saying Chhiv had disseminated “baseless information that is not true.”
The statement highlights one video, “Koh Kong Provincial Deputy Governor Sok Sothy Is Cruel and Abuses Citizens.”
“The publication of this information is intended to tarnish the reputation of Mr. Sok Sothy, Koh Kong deputy governor, and hurts the reputation of the provincial administration, confuses the public and causes confusion and social unrest,” the statement says.
It says authorities went to Thma Sar commune on September 19 after issuing two prior warnings to people who had illegally encroached on state land and built huts. Authorities were “implementing administrative measures” against illegal encroachment, it says.
“Among those encroachers, there is Youn Chhiv, the journalist, the person who tried to disseminate the distorted truth,” the statement says, requesting all journalists to respect the law.
Sothy, the deputy governor criticized by Chhiv, said on Monday that he had submitted a complaint to provincial police and the case was now in their hands.
“The land is a national sanctuary … when he published such distortions of the truth like this — it damages reputations, and most importantly the public misunderstands, especially people who live outside and do not know that the land is a national sanctuary.”
Sok Sovan, a provincial reporter in Koh Kong, said that as far as he knew, Chhiv had a cashew farm on the land in question.
But the heavy-handed response from authorities was chilling, he said.
“It impacts other journalists. As you know, when a journalist posts on Facebook, they can charge [us] saying it is a red-handed crime,” Sovan said. “If the journalist published something wrong, they should pursue [the case] through the Press Law.”
“Journalists face high risks because in our world, publishing some wrong information often happens,” he added. “It’s a challenge when they file a case to court and we face imprisonment.”
Youn Chhiv, journalist and owner of website Koh Kong Hot News, was sentenced to a years imprisonment on September 30 for incitement under Cambodia’s Criminal Code, after reporting on a government land dispute. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Cambodian Journalists Alliance (CamboJA) condemn the imprisonment and intimidation of Youn Chhiv under the Criminal Code and call for the immediate cessation of all charges against him.
The journalist was charged with incitement to cause a felony over publishing alleged misinformation about a land dispute at Botum Sakor National Park. After two days of police questioning without a lawyer, the Chhiv was sentenced to one year in prison under Cambodia’s Criminal Code.
Chhiv claimed that authorities were unlawfully evicting citizens from land they had both farmed and inhabited for years, in direct contravention of Prime Minister Hun Sen’s call late last year to grant land titles to those who had long-standing claims on state land. According to Vey Pherom, deputy prosecutor at the provincial court in Koh Kong, Chhiv admitted that the above claims were false.
In a leaked audio recording, a voice, identified as Defence Minister Tea Banh, can be heard instructing Koh Kong officials and state media to act against Chhiv. “[We] urgently need to discuss with the media in the province and attack him first, directly, with his name,” it says. There have been multiple government-aligned media outlets that have reported on Bahn’s instructions, condemning Chhiv’s reports as baseless.
Provincial reporter in Koh Kong, Sok Savan said that the case had been kept extremely confidential, and only family members were admitted into the courtroom. Savan indicated that authorities ought to have used the Press Law, not the Criminal Code, or allowed Chhiv to apologise publicly and remove the videos. “This case is irregular and inappropriate. In a democratic country, when a journalist covers the news for the public interest and society, they should not be punished or imprisoned,” Savan said.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Denial Fair Trial, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to fair trial, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 27, 2021
- Event Description
The North Sulawesi Regional Police conducted an in-depth investigation to uncover and arrest the perpetrators of the shooting of a resident of Toruakat Village, Bolaang Mongondow.
The shooting occurred during the installation of boundary markers at the Bolingongot plantation, the mining location of PT Bulawan Daya Lestari (BDL).
"The police will continue to work professionally in handling this incident", said Head of Public Relations, Kombes Jules Abraham Abast, in Manado, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, September 29.
Jules Abraham said that the police continued to make various efforts to deal with the conflict which caused five victims, namely one was shot dead and four people were injured.
The Police also appealed to the public to maintain a conducive security and order situation.
"The public and both parties are advised to remain calm, not easily provoked by the situation, and to fully entrust the handling of this incident to the police", he said.
He explained that the conflict occurred on the afternoon of Monday, September 27, shortly after the installation of the stakes at the location. Allegedly involving the guards at the location of PT BDL with the community of Toruakat Village, Bolmong Regency.
Information was obtained, the injured victims consisted of three guards at the location of PT BDL and one resident of Toruakat Village. While one victim who died was a resident of Toruakat Village.
"Until now, the police have added security personnel around the scene to prevent further conflicts. Police personnel also carry out patrols around Toruakat and Dumoga", said Kombes Jules.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Sep 27, 2021
- Event Description
Sitanun Satsaksit, sister of missing activist in exile Wanchalearm Satsaksit, has been charged with violation of the Emergency Decree for giving a speech at a protest on 5 September 2021 at the Asoke Intersection.
11 other people have been charged with violation of the Emergency Decree for participating in the same protest and were summoned to Thong Lo Police Station on 27 September 2021 to hear the charges. However, according to the Cross-Cultural Foundation, Sitanun did not receive either of the summonses sent to her. She later contacted Thong Lo Police Station and found that the summonses were not delivered to her address, and that an arrest warrant might be issued if she does not report to the police. Her lawyer therefore contacted the police so that she can report to them to hear the charges.
Sitanun said that she feels hopeless that not only are the Thai authorities not helping her find her brother and bring the perpetrators to justice, they are also trying to silence her by filing charges against her, even though she is fighting for the rights of her brother and other victims of enforced disappearance. She said that she has no other option but to speak out about the failure of the justice system in investigating her brother’s disappearance, and asked whether expressing her support for the anti-torture and enforced disappearance bill is such a threat to national security.
“Is it such a threat to national security that I join the campaign for the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance bill that you have to file charges to silence a victim? I am just calling for justice for someone in my family, but the government sees me as an enemy,” Sitanun said.
Sitanun’s brother Wanchalearm went missing on 4 June 2020, while living in exile in Cambodia. His fate is currently unknown, and no progress has been made in the investigation into his disappearance. Meanwhile, Sitanun has been spearheading the search for her brother and became a vocal supporter for the anti-torture and enforced disappearance bill, which was recently submitted to parliament.
At the 5 September 2021 protest, Sitanun gave a speech on torture and enforced disappearance, during which she asked why dissenters are harassed and are not able to even stay in Thailand. She said that these people should have the right to stay in the country, but they are forced to go overseas and live in exile, and noted that her brother has been on a government “watch list” since 2014.
A “watch list” document was leaked in late August 2021, which included at least 183 activists, politicians, and members of civil society organisations, all of whom have been critical of the government.
“I don’t know why people with different opinions have to be a threat to national security. Are they the nation? As far as I know, they are soldiers who live off taxpayers’ money. Can’t we have different ideas from them?” she said during the speech.
Sitanun said that torture is not a phenomenon that takes place after a coup, but has long been taking place in the three Deep South provinces, where people are accused of being separatists. She said that what happened to Wanchalearm and 8 other disappeared activists in exile let people see who the country is being ruled by and who they are fighting, and that she is fighting because she does not want anyone else to suffer the same fate as her family.
She also said that, even though her brother disappeared over a year ago, government agencies has yet to decide who is going to be responsible for investigating his disappearance. She saw that the government is ignoring Wanchalearm’s case in the same way that it ignores the voices of people who are protesting, and said that everyone is at risk if we are still ignorant about things that are not right. She also called for people to support the anti-torture and enforced disappearance bill.
Under the State of Emergency declared in late March 2020, public gatherings are banned and many activists and protesters are facing legal prosecution for violation of the Emergency Decree. According to iLaw, at least 1171 people are now facing charges of violating the Emergency Decree for joining protests.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 27, 2021
- Event Description
House committee on good government and public accountability chairman Michael Aglipay unceremoniously removed Rappler journalist Rambo Talabong from a Viber group with reporters on Monday, September 27.
Aglipay kicked out Talabong after the journalist wrote a story on the DIWA representative’s latest defense of the Duterte administration.
Aglipay's comment was about the Senate hearing's revelation that the production stickers on the face masks procured by the government from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation were tampered. The tampering of the production stickers effectively also changed the expiry dates.
For Aglipay, the changing of expiry dates was not a problem, as he asked a Department of Health (DOH) official if the alleged expired face masks hurt or killed any of the health workers who used them. DOH undersecretary Carolina Taino said no.
This exchange was the subject of Talabong’s story, which included a video excerpt on Aglipay’s interpellation during the good government and public accountability panel hearing.
Aglipay then singled out Talabong during the hearing – even if CNN Philippines also published a similar article with the same angle.
The congressman argued Talabong’s article was “one-sided” as it did not include DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III’s remarks that the shelf life of face shields was 36 months.
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“So it is one-sided, and I’m calling him out to be balanced, because they are claiming to be a balanced organization, but this article of his never mentioned that Secretary Duque said that the shelf life is 36 months, and he only focused on my comment, making it appear that we are one-sided here, and covering up the government,” said the ally of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. The House's line of questioning in its hearings veers at countering findings at the Senate, defending the Duterte government's deals with Pharmally.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to information
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 24, 2021
- Event Description
Aksi mahasiswa yang tergabung dalam Gerakan Mahasiswa Nasional Indonesia (GMNI) dan Serikat Petani Indonesia (SPI) dibubarkan paksa aparat kepolisian. Sejumlah mahasiswa bahkan dipukul mundur saat berorasi di kantor Badan Pertanahan Nasional (BPN) Kabupaten Sukabumi.
Pantauan di lokasi aksi massa berjumlah puluhan orang itu awalnya berjalan kondusif, massa mulai berdatangan sekitar pukul 13.30 WIB menggunakan mobil komando yang dilengkapi alat pengeras suara.
Sekitar 20 menit aksi demonstrasi berjalan, aparat kepolisian kemudian mengeluarkan peringatan menggunakan pengeras suara. Polisi menyebut aksi demonstrasi tersebut tidak mengantongi izin. Sekitar pukul 14.00 WIB, polisi mulai tegas memukul mundur mahasiswa dan SPI.
Aksi saling dorong terjadi pada saat polisi memaksa mundur sehingga terjadi kericuhan antara massa pengunjuk rasa dengan polisi. Petugas dari Sabhara Polres Sukabumi terus memaksa massa untuk membubarkan diri sehingga massa dari pengunjuk rasa mundur memenuhi Jalan Suryakencana, Kota Sukabumi.
"Aksi gabungan SPI - GMNI, berkaitan dengan hari tani nasional 2021. Namun aksi dibubarkan, persoalan dibubarkan bukan persoalan polisi yang benar atau kita yang benar tapi yang pasti seharusnya polisi mengatur karena jumlah kita sedikit. Tinggal diatur tanpa harus pembubaran paksa," kata Rozak Daud, perwakilan SPI kepada awak media, Jumat (24/9/2021).
Rozak juga membandingkan aksinya dengan giat vaksinasi yang digelar di Gedung Juang, menurutnya aksi itu juga menimbulkan kerumunan. "Vaksinasi Gedung Juang, di dalam halaman Gedung Juang tertata tapi di luar itu bagaimana tetap kerumunan. Bagaimana polisi tidak adil dalam mengatasi persoalan ini, kalau memang jumlahnya sedikit polisi lebih mudah mengatur," ungkap Rozak.
"Soal tidak ada izin, saya tidak sepakat sejak kapan aksi harus ada izin, kita harus mengirim surat pemberitahuan kita sudah dua kali mengirim surat pemberitahuan tapi tidak diterima oleh pihak kepolisian, kalau izin itu untuk keramaian aksi ini kan bisa pemberitahuan bukan izin, pemberitahuan sudah sejak hari Senin," sambung Rozak.
Dalam aksi kali ini, Rozak menyoroti keberpihakan BPN kepada petani yang dinilai tidak ada terlebih kepada tanah-tanah bermasalah di Kabupaten Sukabumi. Pihak SPI juga menyebut BPN Kabupaten Sukabumi adalah sumber masalah.
"BPN menjadi sumber masalah pertanahan, selama ini yang kita alami, setiap persoalan lokasi perkebunan. BPN selalu berkolaborasi dengan pihak perusahaan kongkalingkong, jarang BPN berpihak ke petani," kata perwakilan SPI, Rozak Daud kepada awak media, Jumat (24/9/2021).
SPI dijelaskan Rozak menggelar aksi dalam rangka peringatan hari tani 2021 pihaknya mengusung isu persoalan adanya 137 lahan di daerah yang saat ini sarat dengan konflik.
"Kita tarik ke persoalan di daerah ada 137 lahan konflik, sudah berdasarkan surat dari staf presiden. Dari jumlah itu ada 3 lokasi di Sukabumi, kami aksi hari ini jangan sampai lokasi ini bermasalah lagi dengan yang di wilayah Kecamatan Warungkiara. Itu sih yang kami bawa untuk mengingatkan pemerintah," ujar Rozak.
Rozak menyebut sejumlah lokasi yang berstatus konflik, dari tiga lokasi itu persoalannya disebut Rozak tidak kunjung usai. Bahkan BPN dinilai tidak proaktif menyelesaikan konflik tersebut.
"Tiga lokasi lahan itu ada dj Kecamatan Caringin, Desa Pasir Datar, kemudian Kecamatan Jampang Tengah, perkebunan dan Lengkong, perkebunan PT Jaya. Ingin segera dituntaskan dipersiapkan sejak dini setelah surat dari SPI. Selama ini BPN tidak bisa menanggapi secara serius, padahal BPN tahu 3 lokasi itu dimana, tidak ada respon setelah surat itu makanya kita melakukan aksi," tegas Rozak.
Sejumlah awak media mencoba mengkonfirmasi tuntutan massa aksi ke pihak BPN, namun hingga petang tadi tidak ada unsur pimpinan maupun staf kantor tersebut yang bersedia memberikan keterangan kepada media.
Sementara itu Wakapolres Sukabumi Kota, Kompol Wisnu Pradana mengatakan pembubaran paksa dilakukan pihaknya karena saat ini kondisi Kota Sukabumi masih dalam PPKM. Ia juga menegaskan bahwa aksi demonstrasi yang dilakukan mahasiswa tidak mengantongi izin.
"Kita kedatangan mahasiswa unras di kantor BPN, dalam hal ini kami mengapresiasi, aspirasi adalah hak masyarakat. Namun ketentuan diatur dalam perundang-undangan dengan kondisi sekarang masa PPKM dimana kami sedang berusaha keras menekan laju peningkatan COVID-19. Oleh karena itu kami sudah sampaikan tiga peringatan kepada rekan-rekan kami, kepada mahasiswa untuk dapat membubarkan diri," kata Wisnu.
Wisnu juga menyampaikan terimakasih karena bantuan dan kerjasama peserta aksi demo untuk menjaga situasi kamtibmas dan keselamatan masyarakat.
"Untuk kejadian tadi sangat disayangkan, sudah 3 kali peringatan, kegiatan tersebut tidak memiliki izin, kedua kegiatan dilakukan pada masa PPKM dimana orang dilarang berkumpul atau berkerumun oleh karena itu kami mendorong keluar dari tempat unjuk rasa. Sifatnya pembubaran kerumunan massa karena memang kita utamakan keselamatan masyarakat," pungkas Wisnu.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 24, 2021
- Event Description
Sedikitnya ada delapan orang tergabung dalam Front Perjuangan Rakyat (FPR) sempat diamankan polisi ketika melakukan aksi di depan Istana Negara, Jakarta Pusat. Namun, polisi mengklaim telah memulangkan mereka. "Terhadap mereka yang kami amankan adalah rekan-rekan dari FPR sejumlah delapan orang," ujar Wakapolres Metro Jakarta Pusat, Ajun Komisaris Besar Polisi Setyo Heriyatno kepada wartawan, Jumat 24 September 2021. Polisi telah memeriksa kedelapan orang tersebut. Kemudian, mereka dapat edukasi dari pihak kepolisian. Setelah itu, polisi memulangkan kedelapan orang tersebut. "Untuk saat ini mereka telah kami pulangkan dengan dijemput oleh orangtuanya," kata dia. Setyo berdalih pengamanan yang dilakukan terhadap mereka merupakan langkah antisipasi terjadinya kerumunan. Pasalnya, mereka demo tapi tak menyampaikan pemberitahuan dulu ke polisi. "Berdasarkan UU nomor 9 Tahun 1998 tentang kemerdekaan menyampaikan pendapat dimuka umum, Pasal 6 yaitu dalam penyampaian pendapat di muka umum berkewajiban mentaati hukum dan ketentuan peraturan UU yang berlaku. Selain itu juga diatur dalam Inmendagri nomor 43 tahun 2021 tentang PPKM level 4, level 3 dan level 2 melarang setiap bentuk aktivitas atau kegiatan yang dapat menimbulkan kerumunan," ujar dia. Maka dari itu, Setyo mengatakan kalau apa yang mereka lakukan tidak lain dalam rangka menegakkan protokol kesehatan COVID-19.
"Dengan berdasar aturan tersebut tindakan Polres Metro Jakarta Pusat lakukan dalam hal ini adalah untuk menegakkan protokol kesehatan COVID-19 mengingat saat ini jumlah masyarakat yang terkonfirmasi positif COVID-19 di wilayah DKI Jakarta masih fluktuatif. Oleh karena itu yang kami lakukan mengacu kepada Adagium Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto yaitu keselamatan rakyat adalah hukum tertinggi," kata dia lagi.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Community-based HRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Sep 23, 2021
- Event Description
Police officers shot and arrested a 24-year-old political activist and detained his mother from their home in Bago on Thursday, according to local sources.
At around 10pm, junta police came to Zayar Aungmyay St in Bago’s Hinthagone 19th ward in two unmarked vehicles to arrest activist Sithu Kaung Myat, a well-known and active protester in local anti-coup demonstrations.
The policemen opened fire when it appeared that Sithu Kaung Myat was trying to run away, a local man said.
“They shot the young man three times in front of his mother when he was trying to escape. He was shot in his chest,” the man told Myanmar Now.
He added that Sithu Kaung Myat was on the second floor of the house when he was shot, while his mother was on the ground floor.
The police handcuffed the 50-year-old woman, who the source said has been in poor health, and raided the home.
"After the shooting, his mother was handcuffed and taken into a car. The young man had not been carried away at that time,” the man explained. “They ransacked the house and took their belongings, including a motorcycle that they wanted. Then the boy was taken into the car.”
Sithu Kaung Myat was admitted to the Bago General Hospital for gunshot wounds to the chest that he suffered when troops came to arrest him from his home on Zayar Aungmyay St in Hinthagone 19th ward at around 10pm.
Sithu Kaung Myat’s 50-year-old mother was also arrested on Thursday and was still in jail at the time of reporting. Police cordoned off the family’s home at around 2pm on Friday, around one hour after her son’s death, a local told Myanmar Now.
“They don’t have other relatives—it is only a mother and a son. She has no other relatives so nobody helped to get her released,” the local said. “People in that ward don’t know who they should ask for help. They don’t know where she has been detained.”
After locals visited the hospital and inquired about his condition, they learned that he had died on Friday afternoon.
It was not known at the time of reporting if or how a funeral would be held for Sithu Kaung Myat, who was an active protester in local anti-coup demonstrations.
Myanmar Now tried to contact the local police station to inquire about the shooting and the continued detention of Sithu Kaung Myat’s mother—who, it is believed, is in poor health—but the calls went unanswered.
Since the February 1 coup, the junta has frequently held the relatives of targeted politicians and activists hostage when troops have been unable to locate the individual they intended to arrest.
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 7,000 continue to be imprisoned by the coup regime, according to data released by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) on Friday.
The junta has declared the AAPP an illegal organisation and rejected their data as exaggerated.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Killing, Raid, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to life, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Pro-democracy defender, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Sep 23, 2021
- Event Description
Student activist Panupong Jadnok has once again been detained after being denied bail on a royal defamation charge filed against him by a royalist activist for a Facebook post about monarchy reform.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported on Thursday (23 September) that Panupong met with the public prosecutor in the morning. He was informed that the public prosecutor had decided to indict him and he was taken to court.
His lawyer later filed a bail request for Panupong, but the request was denied. The order was signed by judge Chanathip Muanpawong, Deputy Chief Justice of the Criminal Court, who earlier this year denied bail to several pro-democracy activists detained pending trial.
Chanathip is also the judge who sentenced Ampon Tangnoppakul, or “Uncle SMS,” to 20 years in prison on a royal defamation charge under Section 112 in 2011, after Ampon was accused of sending messages to Somkiat Krongwattanasuk, who was at the time the secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, which were deemed offensive to the King and Queen. Ampon died in prison.
Panupong has been charged with royal defamation under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, or the lèse majesté law, and with entering into a computer system data which is an offense to national security under Section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act. The charge is based on a complaint filed against him by Nangnoi Atsawakittikorn, member of the royalist group Thailand Help Center for Cyberbullying Victims, which has filed similar complaints against several other activists and netizens.
The complaint was based on a Facebook post on 8 November 2020 which said “Do you think that you will look dignified standing on the ruins of democracy or on the corpses of the people?” along with the hashtag #ปฏิรูปสถาบันกษัตริย์ (#MonarchyReform). The original post also reportedly refers to the King by name.
On 15 September, Panupong was released from the Thanyaburi Remand Prison, where he was detained on charges relating to a protest in front of the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters on 2 August 2021 to demand the release of 32 detained activists. He is now being detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison.
According to TLHR, Panupong is currently facing 9 charges under Section 112; he has already been indicted on 3. He was previously detained pending trial on charges relating to the 19 September 2020 protest, and was in detention for 86 days before being released on 1 June 2021.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Viet Nam
- Initial Date
- Sep 23, 2021
- Event Description
A professor and popular Vietnamese dissident said Thursday that he has received death threats by phone after publishing a series of social media posts criticizing the use of China’s coronavirus vaccines in Vietnam.
Mac Van Trang, known for his critical voice on sociopolitical issues in Vietnam, said he received threatening calls after he posted stories on the Chinese vaccines on his Facebook page, including a letter he wrote to the Ho Chi Minh City leaders, advising them not to accept millions of doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.
“One recent evening, an anonymous man called me on the phone, saying that I shouldn’t keep talking about it and should behave myself; otherwise I would put my life in danger,” Trang told RFA. “He also said that people are dying, and it’s good to have vaccines, and it would be a crime to prevent it. Therefore, I should mind my tongue!”
Vietnam is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases with the spread of the more contagious Delta variant, and large areas of the country of more than 98 million people have been under lockdown. Only about seven percent of Vietnamese adults have been fully vaccinated. On Thursday, Vietnam reported a total 728,435 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including nearly 9,500 news ones, and more than 18,000 deaths with 236 new fatalities.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health decided to allocate an additional 8 million doses of China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Van Thinh Phat Group to 25 cities and provinces, the country’s Tuoi Tre News reported.
But citizens throughout the country have expressed concern, fearing the Sinopharm doses might produce hidden side effects, Ngo Tri Long, former rector of the Ministry of Finance’s Price and Market Research Institute, told RFA in an earlier report.
Trang, 83, was a long-term member of the Communist Party of Vietnam, but he resigned on Oct. 26, 2018, when the party decided to discipline Chu Hao, a well-known intellectual who criticized the government. Trang currently lives in Ho Chi Minh City and posts critiques of sociopolitical issues on his Facebook page.
It was not the first time that he had received such calls, Trang said, adding that threats were made after he spoke out about sensitive incidents in Vietnam, including a deadly land-rights dispute in January 2020. At that time, about 3,000 security officers raided a hamlet in Dong Tam commune to intervene in a long-running dispute over a military airport construction site about 25 miles south of Vietnam’s capital Hanoi.
“In our society, there are many people who have been indoctrinated for a long time that whatever contradicts the [Communist] Party’s policy and guidelines is considered hostile,” he said of the threats he has received.
“From the general secretary, prime minister, and president to others in the government, they always talk about enemies and hostile forces,” Trang said. “This has created a dangerous mindset among party fanatics who exist when the party exists, and who see anyone who criticizes it as a hostile force.”
In addition to the 8 million new shots, Vietnam has received roughly 50 million vaccine doses, including 20 million Sinopharm doses — more than six million of which were donated by China and five million of which were purchased by Ho Chi Minh City, Tuoi Tre News said.
Before the new allocation, 5.5 million Sinopharm vaccine doses had been administered to people in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh province, Hai Phong city, Binh Duong province, and Dong Nai province, the report said.
Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc traveled to Havana last weekend for an official visit, where he met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and finalized a deal for Vietnam to buy 10 million doses of Cuba’s Abdala vaccine.
Italy has also promised to donate 800,000 doses of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam, raising Rome’s commitment to Hanoi to over 1.6 million doses through the COVAX program co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the World Health Organization; and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Academic, Blogger/ Social Media Activist
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 23, 2021
- Event Description
Sungguh naas nasib yang menimpa Hend, seorang jurnalis salah satu media online di Dumai, ia babak belur hingga alami lebam akibat diduga karena dihajar oleh anak buah salah satu pengusaha mafia BBM yang berada di pinggir jalan lintas perwira, kejadian Kamis (23/9/2021), sekitar pukul 11.20 WIB siang saat korban pulang liputan dari Gedung DPRD Kota Dumai, ia melintas di Jln. Perwira, Kelurahan Bagan Besar, Kecamatan Bukit Kapur.
Dari keterangan korban kepada wartawan menjelaskan, saat itu ia turun ke lokasi tempat kejadian peristiwa (TKP) dan saat itu, ia melihat Mobil Tangki bermuatan BBM, les Merah Putih bertuliskan Pertamina, di salah satu lokasi, diduga mafia penampungan BBM inisial EPH. Hend kemudian mengambil foto mobil tangki yang diduga sedang melakukan aktivitas ilegal (bongkar muatan/kencing BBM).
Saat pengambilan foto, Hend di hampiri 4 orang berpakaian preman penjaga gudang, dan spontan melakukan intimidasi/penyerangan, dengan memukulnya, akibatnya, pipi sebelah kanan memar, bibir sebelah atas kanan pecah luka, dan ada pukulan helm mendarat di kepalanya. Kemudian Foto barang bukti di hapus dan HP milik Hend pecah.
Selanjutnya kata Hend, ia dibawa ke belakang WC oleh oknum preman penjaga gudang dilokasi tersebut dan diminta untuk membuat pernyataan diatas kertas materai 10 ribu. Isi pernyataan, agar tidak menuntut di belakang hari dan akan dikenakan sangsi jika lakukan penuntutan.
“Kemudian saya diberi uang Rp 100 Ribu untuk biaya perobatan,” katanya.
Karena merasa tidak adil atas apa yang ia alami yang sudah babak belur akibat dihajar oleh oknum preman penjaga gudang mafia BBM, Hendri menolak dalam hati ia tidak terima di perlakukan seperti ini dan diberi uang Rp 100 tersebut untuk biaya perobatan.
“Saya kemudian kembali ke Kota dan menceritakan ke rekan-rejan Jurnalis atas kejadian yang menimpa saya. Rekan-rekan Jurnalis langsung merespon,” terang Hend.
Atas kejadian yang menimpa dirinya, Hend akhirnya melapor ke Polres Dumai dan dilakukan visum dan dimintai keterangan atas kejadian yang menimpa dirinya.
Sementata Ketua PWI Kota Dumai Bambang Rio saat di mintai tanggapan, ia mengaku masih fokus mendampingi korban.
“Nanti ya, masih mendampingi korban buat laporan,” ujarnya.
Untuk diketahui, sesuai UU Pers no 40 Tahun 1999, Pasal 4 Ayat 1 sebagai landasan hukum kegiatan jurnalistik, Kemerdekaan Pers dijamin sebagai hak asasi warga negara. Ayat 3, untuk menjamin kemerdekaan Pers, Pers Nasional mempunyai hak mencari, memperoleh, dan menyebarluaskan gagasan dan informasi.
Sementara, Pasal 18 ayat 1 mengatur Sanksi Pidana, berbunyi “Setiap orang yang secara melawan hukum dengan sengaja melakukan tindakan yang berakibat menghambat atau menghalangi pelaksanaan ketentuan Pasal 4 ayat (2) dan ayat (3) dipidana dengan pidana penjara paling lama 2 (dua) tahun atau denda paling banyak Rp.500.000.000,00 (lima ratus juta rupiah)”.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 22, 2021
- Event Description
Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan lodged a defamation complaint against rights activists Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti on Wednesday over a video alleging business motive behind current security operations in Papua with Luhut’s involvement.
Luhut himself came to the Jakarta Police headquarters to report the case and “defend my name and that of my children and grandchildren”.
The retired army general said he made the decision after his two attempts to demand public clarification and apology from the two activists went unanswered.
"They didn’t respond during the two occasions, prompting us to take legal action under both criminal and civil laws," Luhut told reporters.
"There is no such thing as absolute freedom, everything has a consequence. I have the right to defend my rights. I have asked them to present evidence [on the allegation] and there was none,” he added.
In the video published on Haris’ YouTube account last month, he interviewed Fatia, who is the coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras), an NGO focusing on human rights issues.
Both discussed allegations that the current military operation in Papua was actually meant to protect mining businesses in the easternmost province.
Fatia implied that mining company Toba Sejahtera Group, in which Luhut is a shareholder, had mining projects in the district of Intan Jaya, Papua.
“It’s fair to say that Luhut has a role in mining businesses in Papua,” Fatia said in the podcast video.
“The core of human rights problems in Papua is militarism. And it turns out that behind the militarism approach – supposedly to restore security and peace in Papua – there are economic motives.”
At one point of the talk show, both activists called the minister “Lord Luhut”.
In an interview with Kompas TV earlier this month, Haris said he had responded to the reprimand by inviting Juniver Girsang, an attorney for Luhut, to become a guest in his podcast and present Luhut’s views to ensure a fair exchange of opinions.
In the same interview, Juniver said his client had no slightest interest in attending and increasing views and revenues of a podcast program that already insulted him in public.
The Jakarta Globe has reached Haris for comments.
In a separate news conference, a lawyer representing both activists said Luhut as a state official is not immune from criticism.
“If he cannot be criticized, there will be no voice of the people. Once we lost people’s voice, democracy is gone,” lawyer Asfinawati said.
“Fatia criticized Luhut in his capacity as a state official, nothing is personal,” she added.
Luhut’s attorney meanwhile said that in addition to the criminal suit, he also planned to file a Rp 100 billion ($7 million) civil case against the activists.
“If judges accept the lawsuit, the Rp 100 billion money will be donated to the Papuan people,” Juniver said.
It’s not the first time a close aide of President Joko Widodo involved in a feud with activists that led to legal motions.
On August 20, Presidential Office Chief of Staff Moeldoko filed a defamation complaint against two Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) activists over allegations that the former military chief had cashed in on the distribution of Covid-19 medication Ivermectin and misused authority to join in rice export program.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online
- HRD
- NGO staff, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Sep 22, 2021
- Event Description
Student activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul was arrested on Wednesday (22 September) and charged with sedition due to her involvement with the Facebook page of the student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD).
Panusaya was arrested at around 12.30 at her home. She went live on her personal Facebook profile and said that she was returning home and about to attend an online class when plainclothes officers from the Technological Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) approached her and presented an arrest warrant. She said that the officers had likely followed her car and ran up to her as soon as she got out.
The arrest warrant was issued by the Criminal Court and signed by judge Sakda Phraisan. It stated that Panusaya is charged with sedition under Section 116 of the Thai Criminal Code and with entering into a computer system data which is an offense to national security under Section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act.
Panusaya continued live broadcasting via the Facebook profile of student activist Watcharakorn Chaikaew, another UFTD member. During the live broadcast, she asked the officers if she could go inside the house to use the bathroom, but the officers refused and told her to wait for an inspector to arrive.
After an investigation inspector from Huai Khwang Police Station and other officers arrived to serve the warrant on Panusaya , she and her friends were taken to the TCSD headquarters in a police van. The officers told Panusaya and her lawyer, who was on the phone with her, that they have already filed a temporary detention request and wanted to bring her to the TCSD headquarters as soon as possible so that her lawyer has enough time to file a bail request.
Panusaya initially wanted to wait for the arrival of Boonlert Wisetpreecha, lecturer at the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, Thammasat University, before going to the TCSD headquarters. However, the officers tried to persuade her to leave quickly as her lawyer is already on the way to the TCSD headquarters, so Panusaya and her friends left in the police van without waiting for the lecturer.
She also asked why the police did not issue a summons before arresting her, but the officers said they did not know and are only doing their job by arresting her.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the charges against Panusaya were the result of a complaint filed by Nopadol Prompasit, a member of the Thailand Help Center for Cyberbullying Victims, an online royalist group whose members have filed numerous lèse majesté charges against many netizens and activists, including Parit Chiwarak and Anon Nampa.
Nopadol accused Panusaya of running the UFTD’s Facebook page and inciting people to join anti-government demonstrations, which he said risked the spread of Covid-19 and were not peaceful.
TLHR also said that, according to the inquiry officer’s temporary detention request, the UFTD Facebook page contains what they consider to be seditious messages calling for people to rebel against the authorities, and accusations that police have used excessive force against protesters.
The request also stated that the inquiry officer is opposed to granting Panusaya bail, as the charges are related to national security and she might flee or tamper with evidence. Nevertheless, she was granted bail on 35,000 baht security.
The charges filed against Panusaya are the same as those filed against Niraphorn Onkhao, another UFTD member, who was arrested last Friday (17 September) during a police raid on the house she was staying with Panusaya and student activist Benja Apan. Niraphorn also never received a summons before being arrested.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Online, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Judiciary, Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 21, 2021
- Event Description
Mao Hermitanio’s face was wet and red when she reached Liwasang Bonifacio this afternoon, Sept. 21, the 49th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law. She and her colleagues played cat and mouse with the Manila police. The chase, however, was not at all fun.
Hermitanio, deputy secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), and her companions assembled at around 1:30 p.m. on Carriedo street, where they were prohibited by the police from holding a program. The contingent, composed mainly of farmers, workers, youth and urban poor, decided to go to Sta. Cruz Church. After a short program, they started marching toward Liwasang Bonifacio. The police blocked them from setting foot on the bridge, and dispersed them with water canon.
Amid the chaos, former Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao and Kilusang Mayo Uno Secretary General Jerome Adonis tried to negotiate with the police, but the latter refused to even identify their ground commander. The protesters then dispersed, and found ways, literally, to get to the site of the protest.
A few meters away from Liwasang Bonifacio, former Gabriela Women’s Party Liza Maza was also blocked several times by policemen in fatigue. She tried to cross the underpass from the Metropolitan Theater but was prevented from proceeding. She walked along the Jones bridge, hoping she would be finally allowed to join the other activists. Policemen told her and her colleagues they could not pass through. Asked for a reason, a policeman just said, “That’s the order.”
Fuming, Maza told the media in Filipino, “I remember when I was still in college, when lighting rallies were still prohibited during Martial Law. The people were not allowed to express themselves freely just like what is happening now.”
“Everything came back to me. I was just waiting for someone to shout, ‘Marcos, Diktator! Tuta!Duterte at Marcos, parehong-pareho ang pakana,’” (Marcos, Dictator! Puppet! Duterte and Marcos have the same tactics.) she said.
Eventually, Maza and hundreds of other protesters managed to hurdle the obstacles.
“On the anniversary of Martial Law, they tried to suppress the rights of the people to peaceably assemble and to free expression,” Obet de Castro of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said in a Facebook post in Filipino hours after the protest. “Duterte is so much like Marcos. And just as how the Filipino people toppled the Marcos dictatorship, the corrupt and fascist in Malacañang failed to stop the militant action of the Filipino people earlier today.”
Marcos-level corruption, tyranny
Progressive groups denounced what they called as Duterte’s Marcosian tactics.
In his speech, Antonio La Viña, former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, said Duterte proves to be similar to Marcos when it comes to corruption and tyranny. He cited the purchase of overpriced pandemic items from Pharmaly, and the killings of activists and drug suspects.
Renato Reyes Jr., BAYAN secretary general, meanwhile, called on fellow protesters to make their choices clear in the coming elections.
“We reject everything that is destructive to the country. We reject those who act as dictators, the son of the dictator, and the lackeys of dictators. We reject corruption, killings, apathy and subservience to foreign interests,” Reyes said in Filipino.
Former ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, who represented 1Sambayan, said the Filipino people should “unite in restoring democracy back.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Community-based HRD, WHRD, Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Sep 20, 2021
- Event Description
Environmentalist Chhorn Phalla has been arrested by Ratanakiri police after they called him in to update the address on his identification card, his lawyer said.
An arrest warrant against Phalla had been issued in February for allegedly clearing forest land for ownership, but both his lawyer and wife said he had been called in for an administrative update.
Phalla, 42, has previously told VOD that he has been involved in protecting forests since 2016, and since 2017 he has filed eight lawsuits against local officials and villagers he accuses of being involved in encroaching on community forests. He has said that authorities have taken no action on any of his complaints.
In July last year, he was beaten by a group of people at a public forum where he questioned how authorities were allowing forestry crimes to happen under their jurisdictions, he has said. Authorities accused him of disrupting the forum, then stood and watched as people beat him, he has alleged.
Kham Salong, Phalla’s wife, said her husband was arrested at Lumphat district’s Seda commune police station at 11:22 a.m. on Monday after the couple arrived to update the address on their ID cards.
“I feel really sad,” Salong said. “They previously beat him up, and now they come to arrest him. I want to ask the court to release my husband. He is not guilty of anything.”
Phalla’s lawyer, Sam Tith Seiha, said his client had been asked to go to the police station to update his ID, and that he would try to speak to him in prison.
Keo Pheadey, deputy prosecutor and spokesman for the Ratanakiri Provincial Court, could not be reached.
Ny Sokha, president of rights group Adhoc, said authorities must be clear before arresting anyone, and said he had doubts about the forestry charges against him.
“We ask the Ratanakiri Provincial Court to consider dropping or revoking the arrest warrant for Chhorn Phalla and release him, do not accuse him further and release him, do not detain him because he did not commit a crime like the one in the lawsuit or the charges.”
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Sep 19, 2021
- Event Description
Activists say they fear for the life of a students’ union chairperson after she was detained by junta forces on Sunday afternoon while travelling on a long distance bus.
Aye Nandar Soe, 21, was stopped and arrested at the Yadanabon bridge connecting Mandalay and Sagaing regions. She leads the students’ union at the Sagaing University of Education, where she is in her fourth year of studies.
Her friends say her whereabouts are unknown and believe she was arrested because of her opposition to the military’s February coup. Her detention comes as the junta steps up its crackdown against student and youth activists across the country.
The junta has not made a public announcement about Aye Nandar Soe’s arrest or the grounds on which she is being detained. Many other student activists who were detained recently have been charged with incitement.
“Our comrade Aye Nandar Soe is being detained… but we still do not know where she is being held,” the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), of which Aye Nandar Soe’s union is a member, said in a statement.
“We fear for our comrade Aye Nandar Soe's life and safety,” the statement said.
An ABFSU spokesperson said he had no information about where she was travelling when she was detained.
The military has stepped up arrests of anti-junta student activists in recent weeks, but the exact number detained is unknown, the spokesperson added.
“Many students from the ABFSU and other students’ unions were arrested, but the ones who were not will continue to revolt against the military,” he told Myanmar Now.
On Sunday three young activists, including two members of the ABFSU, were detained in Yangon and accused of being involved in bank robberies to fund armed resistance against the junta.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 1,122 people have now been killed by the junta and 6,698 others are in detention.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Abduction/Kidnapping
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 18, 2021
- Event Description
Hari ini, Sabtu, 18 September 2021, sekitar pukul 05.00 pagi, kami mendapati salah satu bagian (sisi barat-pojok) teras kantor LBH Yogyakarta terdapat bekas seperti terbakar api. Bekas terbakar itu menyebar di beberapa sisi, yakni di lantai, tembok, kaca jendela, ventilasi hingga naik ke atas atap. Api sempat menyambar ke dalam kantor mengenai gorden. Di sekitarnya juga ditemukan serpihan kaca yang tampaknya adalah pecahan botol. Kami memperkirakan, kantor LBH Yogyakarta telah diserang dengan lemparan bom molotov oleh pihak yang tidak bertanggung jawab.
Terhadap peristiwa ini, kami ingin menyampaikan beberapa hal:
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Berdasarkan informasi sementara yang kami himpun, kejadian ini kemungkinan berlangsung di atas pukul 01.00 (dini hari). Namun kami belum mengetahui siapa pelaku dan apa motifnya. Hanya saja kami menduga serangan ini terkait dengan pembelaan LBH Yogyakarta terhadap kasus-kasus struktural dan perkara masyarakat miskin lain. Saat ini upaya advokasi perkara tersebut sedang berjalan secara intensif, kami menduga ada oknum yang tidak senang dengan aktivitas bantuan hukum LBH Yogyakarta yang selama ini aktif mendampingi masyarakat kecil.
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Kami menilai serangan ini adalah teror terhadap pembela hak asasi manusia sekaligus juga organisasi bantuan hukum, yang selama ini melakukan tugas-tugas konstitusional memberikan bantuan hukum kepada masyarakat miskin. Perbuatan pelaku bertentangan prinsip-prinsip negara hukum dan nilai-nilai hak asasi manusia.
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Kami mengecam keras serangan ini. Tindakan ini adalah kejahatan pidana yang melanggar Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana (KUHP). Oleh karena itu kami akan melaporkan peristiwa ini ke pihak yang berwajib (polisi) maupun lembaga-lembaga terkait.
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Penting digarisbawahi, kami sama sekali tidak takut dengan teror. Kejadian ini justru menambah berlipat-lipat semangat kami untuk terus maju dan tidak pernah berhenti melakukan pembelaan serta memperjuangkan hak-hak dan kepentingan rakyat miskin korban ketidakadilan dalam kasus-kasus struktural.
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- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to property, Right to work
- HRD
- Lawyer, NGO
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Sep 17, 2021
- Event Description
Police arrested a university student on charges of sedition and computer crimes during a raid on a house used by student activists in Pathum Thani on Friday.
The search of the house at the Nuantong housing estate in Khlong Luang district on Friday morning was carried out by officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).
Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and Benja Apan, two key figures in the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD), normally stay at the house. Niraphorn Onkhao, a third-year liberal arts student at Thammasat University, was the only person in the house when the officers arrived.
Police said Ms Niraphorn was wanted on an arrest warrant issued on Wednesday by the Criminal Court on charges of violating Section 116 of the Criminal Code, or sedition, and the Computer Crime Act. The officers seized computers and mobile phones for further examination.
Ms Niraphorn was subsequently taken to the TCSD in Bangkok for interrogation. Officers were preparing to take her to the Criminal Court to seek her detention and would oppose bail, said Pol Col Pichet Khampeeranon, chief of TCSD sub-division 3.
Thai media reported that Ms Niraphorn protested during the arrest and insisted she had never received a summons. She reportedly told officers that the warrant they showed her did not mention any specific incident to justify her arrest.
The UFTD has been one of the main groups involved in political protests that began in mid-2020. The activists have been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a full rewrite of the constitution and reform of the monarchy.
More than 1,100 people have been prosecuted for political protests between July 2020 and August 2021, with more than 400 charged in August alone, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights reported recently.
The organisation said it knew of at least 1,161 people who were being prosecuted for alleged crimes related to political gatherings and expression since the movement began on July 18, 2020.
Of the total, 143 are minors, aged under 18.
Just over 900 people faced charges of violating the emergency decree that was imposed to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. The group said 124 people were facing charges of lese majeste or defaming the monarchy under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, and 107 faced sedition charges under Section 116.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community), Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of association, Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security, Right to privacy
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender, Student, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Sep 17, 2021
- Event Description
Seng Sary. who had clarified that he does not support forming a government in exile but merely laid out hypothetical conditions for one, told RFA’s Khmer Service Monday it was a good sign that Hun Sen is listening to the opinions of analysts and intellectuals, but he did not feel completely safe yet.
“I have not seen the court drop my case yet, so it is difficult for me to decide whether I should return to Cambodia, because it has to do with my safety,” Seng Sary said.
“I hope I can get my charges dropped soon,” he said.
Seng Sary said he was fortunate to be in Thailand when Hun Sen ordered his arrest. Otherwise, he would never have been able to escape or explain to Hun Sen the meaning of his analysis.
“I hope that in the future, the head of government will more carefully consider posts on social media… Let the government have a high understanding of contradictory views or political views that people want express.”
Political analyst Kim Sok, who lives in exile in Finland, said that Seng Sary is right to remain in Thailand and act with caution about anything Hun Sen says.
“He did request that the court revoke Seng Sary’s arrest warrant, but who knows? When Seng Sary returns to Cambodia and if he is arrested, Hun Sen could say he only made the request to cancel the arrest order, but it is up to the court because the court is independent. So be careful with this game,” Kim Sok said.
RFA was unable to reach Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin for comment on Hun Sen's stance. The spokesman for the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, Plang Sophal was also not available.
Chak Sopheap, the Executive Director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, welcomed the suspension of the arrest warrant and urged the government to be more open to intellectuals and political analysts.
“There must be a guarantee of full freedom of expression, and there should be no indictment or arrest just because citizens are expressing their opinions,” she said.
Some Facebook users wrote in support of Hun Sen’s change of heart, while others pointed out that the Cambodian leader has broken promises to activists in exile, saying they could return to the country without fear of arrest, but arresting them anyway.
The exchange with Seng Sary came a little than a week after Hun Sen Hun Sen crashed a Zoom strategy session of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, which Hun Sen had banned in 2017.
“I wanted to send a clear message to the rebels that there are people of Hun Sen everywhere,” the prime minister said of his intervention in the Zoom call.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death threat, Intimidation and Threats, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Academic freedom, Online, Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Academic
- Perpetrator-State
- Government, Judiciary
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Sep 15, 2021
- Event Description
A citizen journalist and a protester who allegedly painted graffiti about monarchy reform at Din Daeng Intersection on 13 September were arrested by the police on Wednesday night (15 September).
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that Wiraphap Wongsaman was arrested and taken to Chaiyaphruek Police Station in Nonthaburi Province to file the report and then detained at Phaholyothin Police Station in Bangkok.
Student activist Wanwalee Thammasattaya posted on Facebook that she personally knew Wiraphap by the nickname ‘Reef’ and that he was arrested while eating noodles. He was accused of painting graffiti reading ‘The monarchy should be reformed to be under the constitution’.
She stated that Reef has been the target of Information Operations and a pro-monarchy group which tried to label him as a radical protester. A video of him shoving reporters’ cameras was criticized online. In fact he was trying to prevent reporters from recording the faces of protesters who were minors, and had later apologized to the reporters.
On the same night, a citizen was arrested for resisting the authorities. He was taken to Thakham Police Station before being detained at Phaya Thai Police Station. According to Voice TV, a citizen journalist was arrested while wearing a purple vest that identified him as a follower of Kathoei Mae Luk On (trans mom with an infant child), a YouTuber who has been live broadcasting the Din Daeng protests.
Similar to the case of Ratsadon News whose reporter was arrested on Monday night (13 September), Kathoei Mae Luk On is a citizen journalist with 300,300 followers on YouTube.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Sep 15, 2021
- Event Description
Following the addition of two more names to the list of 54 journalists and media workers currently held in the military junta’s jails in Myanmar, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reminds the international community of the need for targeted sanctions against those responsible for the growing terror.
Mizzima News former editor-in-chief Myo Thant was arrested yesterday in Kangye Htaung, a township in southwestern Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River delta region. RSF has learned that the security forces went to the township after being told he was there, and threatened to take his aunt if he did not surrender. He was finally arrested at round 8 pm.
Officials from the Sintgaing central police station charged a detained ex-journalist with incitement on Wednesday for allegedly violating Section 505a of the penal code.
Thirty-five-year-old Win Naing Oo, who formerly worked as a chief correspondent for Channel Mandalay, was arrested along with his wife Thu Thu from a mango farm in Mandalay’s Sintgaing Township on August 31, according to a family friend. Thu Thu was reportedly released on Thursday evening.
Win Naing Oo stopped working in journalism after Myanmar’s February 1 military coup.
“He hasn’t done any journalism work during this time. I don’t know why he was arrested,” the friend told Myanmar Now.
Myanmar Now called the Sintgaing police station for further information on the case. The officer on duty said that Win Naing Oo was being held there and confirmed that he had been charged under Section 505a.
A Sintgaing local said that the couple had been living at the mango farm where they were arrested, but that they may not have been the junta’s initial target.
“The police were there to arrest their guest. They were arrested along with the guest,” said the local, who did not elaborate on the guest’s identity.
Win Naing Oo was previously charged with defamation in May 2019 after he was accused of violating Section 66d of Myanmar’s Telecommunications Law for broadcasting a news story on Channel Mandalay regarding military confiscation of farmland near Pyin Oo Lwin.
More than 100 journalists have been arrested since the coup, and many of them charged with violating 505a. Few have been released. Many have been sentenced in closed court hearings, with convictions for violating the statute carrying a prison term of up to three years.
At least 6,572 people have been arrested by the junta since the coup, according to a statement released by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners on Thursday.
- Impact of Event
- 3
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Family of HRD, Media Worker
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Philippines
- Initial Date
- Sep 15, 2021
- Event Description
Another peoples’ lawyer was killed Wednesday, Sept. 15.
Lawyer Juan Macababbad, Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) vice chairperson and member of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyer (NUPL), was shot by two gunmen in front of his residence in Surrallah, South Cotabato.
Macababbad was the third member of the NUPL and 58th lawyer who was gunned down under President Duterte’s administration.
“While the case may go through the usual investigation, as with the other growing number of unresolved cases, it is clear that the murder of Atty. Macababbad is connected to his vocation of lawyering for the people,” said UPLM Chairperson Antonio C. Azarcon in a statement.
Azarcon said Macababbad had been receiving death threats prior to the incident.
Defender of indigenous peoples, environment
Macababbad handled several cases, particularly in defense of indigenous peoples and protection of the environment.
He served as the legal counsel of the Lumad victims in the Lake Sebu massacre in 2017.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, said that Macababbad also joined several fact-finding mission and served as the legal counsel to indigenous peoples, teachers and community members in the SOCSKSARGEN.
“Such attacks against those in the legal profession, particularly against the committed and tireless human rights defenders among them, should stop. We demand justice for Atty. Macababbad and all lawyers killed under this administration,” Palabay said.
Macababbad was also one of those who opposed the coal mining applications of DM Consunji at the Daguma Mountain Range in the SOCCSKSARGEN region.
In 2015, Macababbad was slapped with Strategic Lawsuit Againt Public Participation (SLAPP) after “their local mass movements barricaded the aerial spraying facilities of Sumifru’s Banana plantation,” according to Leon Dulce, national coordinator for Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment.
“This is why it is urgent to enact policies such as House Bill 8170 or the Environmental Defense Bill that grants protection mechanisms and various remedies to human rights abuses against defenders. This is why we need to #DefendTheDefenders,” Leon added.
The groups demand justice for the slain lawyer.
“The climate of impunity pervades with the lack of serious investigation and prosecution over thousands of extrajudicial killings in the country. The legal profession is not spared, and our colleagues have become main targets especially those who resist tyranny and defend human rights,” Azarcon said.
Just last month, lawyer Rex JMA Fernandez was killed in Cebu City in broad daylight.
Different lawyers groups have been calling the Supreme Court to take action on the increasing attacks on the members of the judiciary.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Killing, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Right to life
- HRD
- Lawyer
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Singapore
- Initial Date
- Sep 14, 2021
- Event Description
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has suspended the class licence of The Online Citizen (TOC) to run its website and its social media channels.
In a statement on Tuesday (Sept 14), IMDA said the socio-political website has repeatedly failed to comply with its legal obligation to declare all sources of funding since around the middle of last year.
TOC will be required to stop posting content on its website and social media channels immediately and disable them by 3pm on Thursday, IMDA said.
It added that if TOC continues to operate while in breach of the requirements, it may then take steps to block access to TOC in Singapore.
If TOC “does not provide further information to bring it into full compliance”, its class licence could be cancelled by Sept 28, said IMDA, adding that TOC’s officers may also be held liable for criminal offences under the Broadcasting Act.
“There is no reason for TOC not to comply, as other registered Internet content providers provide this information in order to be transparent about their sources of funding,” said IMDA.
TOC is one of two websites that are currently classified as registered Internet content providers (ICPs) by IMDA. The other is The Independent Singapore.
Past websites that had registered as ICPs include Six-Six News and The Middle Ground, both of which are no longer in operation.
Such websites, which provide content focused on political issues in Singapore and engage in online promotion or discussion of these issues, are required to declare their sources of funding.
"This is to prevent such sites from being controlled by foreign actors, or coming under the influence of foreign entities or funding, and to ensure that there is no foreign influence in domestic politics," IMDA said.
This requirement has been in place since 2013.
Mainstream news websites are not considered ICPs as they are regulated separately under the Broadcasting Act and the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act.
Under the regulations for ICPs, details on the sources of all funding must be declared by default and no foreign funding is allowed.
While subscription and advertising revenue from foreign sources are allowed if there is a clear commercial purpose, the sources must be declared and identified. IMDA said such sources of funding must not be used as a "loophole for foreign influence and funding".
It noted that TOC had offered a subscription framework under which those who paid a $120 yearly fee could have TOC write articles on a specified topic without having to declare their identity.
This is tantamount to allowing subscribers to commission content, which would require the full disclosure of the identity of the source, IMDA noted.
“This is a cause for concern as foreign actors can potentially use this mechanism to pay TOC to write articles that influence domestic politics,” it added.
IMDA said the legal entity TOC Pte Ltd first registered as an ICP in 2018 and declared its funding sources in accordance with the requirements. The Straits Times understands that the TOC website was operated by a different legal entity before 2018.
However, since 2019, TOC has not fully complied with this obligation, IMDA said.
The authority noted that TOC had failed to verify a donor and to clarify discrepancies in its foreign advertising revenue in its 2019 declaration, for which it was issued a warning on May 4 this year.
"For its 2020 declaration, TOC repeatedly failed to declare all its funding sources despite multiple reminders and extensions," IMDA said.
"TOC had also informed IMDA that it does not intend to comply with its obligations under the law."
TOC was then given a final opportunity to explain its non-compliance by Monday.
In its response to IMDA on Monday, TOC offered to make a declaration that it was not receiving foreign funding on the condition that the IMDA agrees not to seek further clarifications on its subscription framework and funding sources, the authority said.
But the requirement for TOC and other ICPs to declare their sources of funding is a legal one, and is not a matter for negotiation, said IMDA. It, therefore, rejected TOC's offer.
In a letter to IMDA posted on his Facebook page on Monday, lawyer Lim Tean of Carson Law Chambers, who represents TOC, said the discrepancies were "simple accounting mistakes".
He also accused IMDA of hypocrisy and inconsistency for allowing the Critical Spectator website and Facebook page to comment on Singapore affairs and politics despite it being run by a foreign commentator, Polish national Michael Petraeus.
Mr Lim added that TOC intends to challenge the suspension of its class licence by way of a judicial review.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- Administrative Harassment, Censorship, Enactment of repressive legislation and policies, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom, Media freedom, Online
- HRD
- Media Worker, Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Sep 14, 2021
- Event Description
Soldiers on Tuesday evening arrested six students from Dagon University who were staying together in an apartment in downtown Yangon, a student leader has said.
Min Htet Han, chair of the university’s students’ union, told Myanmar Now it is unclear why the six were arrested, but that soldiers arrived at the 39th street apartment in Kyauktada saying they were inspecting overnight guest lists.
“They were staying on the top floor and it was the only apartment that was checked,” he said. “I think it’s safe to assume that they were looking for them in particular.” Informants may have told the military they were staying there, he suggested.
The six detainees are zoology student Wutyi Aung, chemistry student Thinzat Zaw, law student Sithu Aung Tin, archeology student Ye Lin Oo, geology student Myint Thein Naing, and Nay Htet Lin, who studies history.
Earlier this month the former chair of the Dagon University Students’ Union, Min Thukha Kyaw, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by a military court. He had taken part in anti-coup protests before his arrest more than three months ago. The military accused him of receiving combat training from the Kachin Independence Army.
Students have been among the most dedicated opponents of the military’s February 1 power grab, and have been repeatedly targeted in crackdowns in recent months.
Htet Aung, the 22-year-old former president of the Pyay University Students’ Union and vice president of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), was arrested by 10 plain clothed military personnel at a house in Paungde Township, Bago Region, where he was hiding on September 6.
“They took him saying they had some questions. We don’t know exactly why he was arrested,” said Nyi Nyi Zin, an ABFSU member.
Htet Aung had only been released from prison in February after serving several months of a one-year sentence for taking part in a protest against the war in Rakhine last year.
His family say they are worried for his wellbeing and do not know where he is being held.
In July, the junta detained nine students including Htet Wai Yan, the president of the Government Technical Institute Students’ Union in Letpadan, as well as Yan Naing Aung, an executive member of the Pyay Students’ Union.
Zin Ko Ko Khant, a 20-year-old student from Taungoo University, was detained a few days later.
- Impact of Event
- 6
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Raid
- Rights Concerned
- Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Armed forces/ Military
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Sep 13, 2021
- Event Description
A citizen journalist was detained on Monday and later released after filming a police station and preparing to interview family members of 30 Kandal villagers arrested in a land dispute over Phnom Penh’s new international airport.
Chray Nim, who is also a land activist, said she was working as a citizen journalist for the community, though she would not elaborate on where she publishes her reports.
The airport development, in Kandal province’s Kandal Stung district, has in recent months become more aggressive about clearing the land of villagers, who are refusing the compensation on offer to relocate.
Villagers have tried to block roads in protest, while police and military police have increased their presence to stop them.
On Sunday, a confrontation between villagers and authorities turned violent, with villagers allegedly hurling rocks at officers before 30 were arrested.
Amid a downpour outside the Kandal Provincial Court on Monday afternoon, a man said he was there with his wife because their 22-year-old daughter, a garment factory worker, was arrested on Sunday. He added that “I will be arrested” if he was named in publication.
“I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to burst out crying,” the man said of the night after his daughter’s arrest. “It’s our land and we’ve been jailed for our land.”
The villagers were angry, he said. But he said he was also annoyed at the children who had hurled rocks at officers. “They couldn’t control their emotions,” he said. “The young were aggressive, and the older people got arrested.”
Two women said they had come from Phnom Penh after their 55-year-old mother was arrested. “I was very upset when I learned that she was arrested, and they prevented us from seeing her,” one of the women said, declining to be named. The two had been outside the police station since 7 a.m., she said.
Another woman said her mother, who was over 60 years old, was also arrested. “I don’t want to talk much because I don’t want to get in trouble,” she said, standing with a full bag of cooked rice and other food she hoped she could give to her mother.
The first man added, speaking to reporters: “I’m worried about you too.”
Chray Nim, 41, was arrested around 11 a.m. outside the police station, according to her daughter Reaksa Reasey. Reasey said she had come with her mother, and saw six officers drag her into the compound.
Nim was filming the police station’s gate as a citizen journalist, Reasey said.
Reasey was also questioned for an hour before being released, she said.
“They questioned where my mother came from and what she does. I told them that I don’t know because I’m just a student,” Reasey said. “I was very, very scared seeing her in handcuffs.”
In the afternoon, a guard at the police station also told VOD: “No pictures. If you continue to take them, I’ll get someone to take you.”
Nim was released in the evening. Nim told VOD after her release that she had only started filming, had not interviewed anyone yet, and had not broadcast live. She was questioned about who she worked for and whether she had sought permission to film. She would only say that she was a “community citizen journalist” and not where her reports were published.
“They asked whether I had asked permission from them or not and I told them that I go to take videos everywhere and I have never asked permission,” she said. “Anywhere people protest we go to cover it.”
“This is a threat and silences the freedoms and rights of independent citizen journalists,” Nim added.
Information Ministry broadcasting director Phos Sovan said he did not have clear information yet about Monday’s detention, and whether it was only for taking video.
“When we write a narrative, it can be too far from the truth, and sometimes the authorities think that it will incite or cause more violence … so they use their mechanism toward journalists who broadcast live,” Sovan said.
There were some challenges regarding citizen journalists not following ethics, he added. “The new group that we call citizen journalists has a lot of challenges,” Sovan said. “We have seen some challenges for online media occurring recently.”
Many small news outlets have appeared on Facebook in recent years — and several have faced trouble with the law over their video broadcasts.
Nim began as a land and women’s rights activist in 2012 after facing problems with her own land near the current Phnom Penh International Airport, according to the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and Transparency International.
Kandal officials have been heavy-handed in dealing with journalists covering the dispute. A VOD reporter was followed by two undercover police officers back to Phnom Penh after covering the story and another social media broadcaster was threatened and asked to stop covering the protest.
Nop Vy, executive director of the Cambodian Journalists Alliance, said Nim was a member of the association, though she had never done work for it.
The association would be offering her support as a member, he said.
“Citizens who can produce stories like articles and videos and photos are called citizen journalists. We have been working to build their capacity and ethics,” Vy added. “Some citizen journalists have good knowledge and can write stories. We encourage them and we can sign contracts with them.”
Many journalists in Cambodia were not formally trained, but have gained experience through working in newsrooms and with other journalists. “It is the same for citizen journalists. They are normal people, but they start working as journalists, then they learn and improve to be professional journalists,” he said.
Vy added that based on information he had, Nim had only been taking video. “I think this is part of people’s freedoms, including journalists’ freedoms,” he said, adding that authorities should respect those freedoms. “They have no weapons. They only have smartphones to interview and take photos and videos.”
Sokunthea Chhan, media development director at the Cambodian Center for Independent Media — VOD’s parent organization — said Nim was not a citizen journalist for CCIM. But CCIM would be providing a lawyer to support her, Chhan said.
CCIM, however, did have citizen journalists in the disputed airport area, and they were facing threats from police and local authorities, she said.
“CCIM supports CJs and professional journalists when they face challenges by providing legal support and safe houses if they need,” she said. “CJs are just gathering [information about] issues happening at the conflict area. The authorities should open the space for CJs and all journalists to exercise their rights freely.”
Kandal provincial police chief Chhoeun Sochet could not be reached. Pung Khiev Se, chairman of OCIC, which is developing the airport in a joint venture with the civil aviation authority, has not responded to questions.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Land rights defender, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Sep 13, 2021
- Event Description
Sureerat Chiwarak, mother of student activist Parit Chiwarak, has received a summons from Thong Lo Police Station on a violation of the Emergency Decree charge.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Sureerat has to report to the police station to hear the charges on 20 September 2021. TLHR also posted a picture of the summons, which stated that the charge was filed by Pol Maj Ithithon Praosetsak, investigation inspector at Thong Lo Police Station, and that former Red Shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar also faces the same charge.
The student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) said that the charge is related to a protest at the Asoke intersection, organized by Nattawut. The UFTD also said that Sureerat only attended the protest.
This is Sureerat’s second summons for violating the Emergency Decree. According to TLHR, she previously received a summons from Thong Lo Police after a complaint was filed against her by Srisuwan Janya, Secretary-General of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, who is known as Thailand’s “complainer-in-chief” for repeatedly filing police complaints against activists and politicians.
The UFTD said that Srisuwan’s complaint is related to the 3 September 2021 protest organized by the UFTD and the activist group Thalufah. However, TLHR said that the complaint is likely related to the 2 September 2021 protest at the Asoke intersection.
Sureerat has been active since the beginning of 2021 in the campaign for the release of activists detained pending trial, after her son was denied bail and detained in February 2021 along with 9 other activists. She became known, along with the mothers of other detained activists who spoke out to demand their children’s release, as the “Ratsamom,” a combination of “Ratsadon,” which means “people,” and “mom.”
Parit was released on bail on 11 May 2021, after being detained for 92 days. He was detained again on 8 August 2021 on charges relating to a protest in front of the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters on 2 August 2021 to demand the release of 32 detained activists. The Criminal Court also revoked his bail on charges relating to the 19 September 2020 protest. He is currently detained at the Thanyaburi Remand Prison and has been denied bail at least 4 times.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Freedom of assembly, Offline, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Family of HRD, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Sep 13, 2021
- Event Description
2 online reporters were arrested on the night of 13 September while covering the protest at Din Daeng intersection and charged with violating the curfew and the emergency decree.
Arrested were Nattapong Malee from Ratsadon News and Panida (surname withheld) from the Free Our Friends page. Live footage from Ratsadon News showed police asking Nattapong to produce written permission for him to work during the 21.00-04.00 curfew. He responded that his application was pending, and was taken in.
Ratsadon News is one among many online citizen journalists providing close coverage of the protests at Din Daeng through live broadcasts. These have occasionally exposed police brutality.
The two were detained overnight and taken to court the next day to request further temporary detention. The court released them on bail with no security.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights reported that 11 people were arrested on the same night. 5 were minors, one of whom was 12 years old, 2 were reporters, and one was a volunteer nurse. ‘Unaffiliated’ media barred from covering protests
On 14 September, Khaosod reported that Pol Col Kritsana Phattanacharoen, deputy police spokesperson, said in a press briefing that Youtubers and freelancers from Thai and foreign news agencies are not allowed to cover the protests if they cannot confirm their affiliation.
Prior to the arrests, Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, gave an interview to the Question Time programme on the Thai PBS channel that the police have received media reports about protesters or Youtubers disguising themselves as journalists.
Pol Maj Gen Piya said the police would remove unaffiliated journalists or Youtubers from the scene.
Reports of unaffiliated reporters and freelance journalists and photographers being blocked from reporting and assaulted have increased in the latter half of 2021 as police increased pressure on pro-democracy protesters.
Although official media carry press cards, they are often affected by police use of rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon, sometimes deployed indiscriminately.
Sirote Klampaiboon, a Voice TV reporter, tweeted on Monday night (13 Sep) that a group of reporters at Din Daeng had rubber bullets fired at them after the police picked them out with green lasers.
Somchai Homla-or, a human rights lawyer, in an interview with Backpack Journalist on 17 August after a freelance photographer was hit by a police baton that destroyed her camera lens, said that the authorities have no right to use violence to stop people and the media from taking photos or videos as they serve as tools for monitoring the protest situation.
Somchai cited a Court of Appeal Region 5 ruling, which said that people can take photos and videos when the authorities make an arrest or perform their duty at checkpoints as it is meant to increase transparency regarding the authorities’ actions. Citizens and journalists are able to record the situation as long as they do not interfere with the authorities.
The Thai Media for Democracy Alliance (DemAll), a group of pro-democracy media and content creators, published a statement after the arrest of the 2 citizen journalists, saying that it found many reports that reporters were asked to produce press cards, to stop live broadcasts and to leave the scene, with the curfew used as an excuse.
DemAll demanded that the police not restrict the definition of the media to only those affiliated with major press outlets and put a stop to threats against journalists.
“The press cards are not the main issue. Even citizen journalists are regarded as journalists with the duty of relaying information to the people,” stated the statement.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man, Woman
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Offline, Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Blogger/ Social Media Activist, WHRD
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 13, 2021
- Event Description
Kunjungan Presiden Joko Widodo ke Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) diwarnai penangkapan 10 mahasiswa, Senin (13/9). Mereka ditangkap setelah membentangkan poster di Jalan ir Sutami yang dilalui Presiden Jokowi.
Dalam rilis yang diterima CNNIndonesia.com, aksi tersebut digelar mewakili Presiden dan Wakil Presiden BEM se-UNS. Poster berisi kritik tersebut ditujukan kepada Presiden Jokowi yang akan menghadiri Forum Rektor se-Indonesia di Auditorium Fakultas Kedokteran UNS. "Dalam peristiwa tersebut setidaknya ada 10 mahasiswa yang ditangkap oleh aparat," demikian menurut rilis yang dikirim oleh Presiden BEM UNS, Zakky Musthofa.
Mahasiswa yang pertama ditangkap bernama Daffa. Ia membentangkan poster di halte bus di dekat pintu masuk UNS sekitar pukul 10.59 WIB. Sekitar 11.13 WIB, Daffa dibawa oleh aparat ke dalam mobil hitam.
Dua orang mahasiswa bernama Khanif dan Tekwo sempat menghampiri Daffa sebelum memasuki mobil.
"Mereka berdua dibawa pula ke dalam mobil," katanya.
Aparat juga menggeledah tas milik Afif, Prama, Tema, dan Ammar. Aparat bahkan sempat memberhentikan motor yang dikendarai Tema dan Ammar sebelum menggeledah isi tas mereka. "Empat mahasiswa tersebut dibawa oleh aparat dengan mobil putih," katanya.
Selain tujuh mahasiswa tersebut, polisi juga menangkap tiga mahasiswa lain. Mereka yaitu Mishbakh, Wicak, dan Raden yang ingin menyuarakan aspirasinya.
"Mereka bertiga turut dibawa oleh aparat," katanya.
Zakky mengaku heran dengan penangkapan yang dilakukan aparat kepolisian. Pasalnya, mahasiswa memiliki tanggung jawab membela aspirasi rakyat.
"Kami pertanyakan apa yang jadi kesalahan teman-teman? Kami sebagai mahasiswa punya tanggung jawab membela rakyat. Ternyata tidak diberi kesempatan," katanya melalui telepon.
Apalagi, Zakky menilai aksi yang dilakukan BEM cukup santun seperti yang diminta oleh Jokowi.
"Poster kita kan enggak barbar. Isinya sama sekali enggak kasar," katanya. Sebelumnya, Gabungan BEM se-UNS juga sempat meminta waktu melalui pihak UNS untuk menyampaikan aspirasi secara langsung secara tatap muka dengan Presiden Jokowi. Sayangnya, permintaan tersebut ditolak.
"Ternyata kami tidak diberi kesempatan, baik secara akademis maupun di jalanan. Padahal kami tidak membuat aksi yang besar yang menimbulkan kerumunan," katanya.
- Impact of Event
- 10
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Cambodia
- Initial Date
- Sep 12, 2021
- Event Description
Cambodian authorities have arrested more than 30 villagers during a violent roundup of land protesters in Kandal province where they were protesting against an airport being built by a company owned by a tycoon with ties to the country’s autocratic leader, provincial police and villagers said.
The land at Kampong Talong village in Kandal’s Beung Khchang commune was taken three years ago by the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC), a private Cambodian firm, for construction of the U.S. $1.5 billion airport project.
Around 330 families living on the disputed land refused compensation for their fields, saying the amounts offered in payment by the firm were too low.
Police beat the protesters who rallied Sunday, and 31 were arrested for alleged involvement in violence against authorities during the demonstration.
The land dispute between 330 families and the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) owned by Neak Oknha (honorific) Pung Khieu Se, an affluent business tycoon close to Prime Minister Hun Sen led to authorities to make the arrests.
Villager Nai Phon, who was monitoring the situation, said that authorities arrested three of his family members — his wife, Khim Chetra, and sisters Nay Phea and Nay Phol, and that police were still searching for and arresting other villagers.
“As a land grab victim, it has been three years since I begged the head of government to help solve this land dispute by giving us fair compensation so that we can accept it, Nai Phon said.
“And now we do not dare to claim the market price. We can accept a reasonable price to end the confrontation and have all the detainees released.”
RFA could not reach Kandal’s police commissioner, Chhoeun Socheth, for comment.
‘It is not a good way’
Am Sam Ath, deputy director of monitoring at Cambodian human rights group Licadho, said that this is the first time in the history of land disputes in Cambodia that authorities have arrested such a large number of people.
“We still insist on not choosing that way, and it is not a good way,” said Am Sam Ath, who condemned the resort to mass arrests.
“First, it affects both sides and draws more criticism over the issue of the land dispute as well as other allegations,” he said. “And if the people are imprisoned, their suffering will be doubled. This means that their families will face more problems.”
This arrest and violent crackdown erupted Sept. 12 after hundreds of authorities prevented farmers from accessing the land. They set fire to the rubbish in front of the security barricades used by local police and military police to block the road to their farmland now under the control of OCIC.
In response, Kandal Provincial Hall accused residents of causing acts of violence involving the use of sticks, stones, rubber bullets, and petrol bombs that injured 13 police officers.
Authorities called on residents to stop what they said were illegal activities and return to efforts to resolve the land dispute peacefully.
Acting on behalf of CIOC, Kandal provincial authorities have offered villagers U.S. $8 per square meter for their land, but villagers say that is much lower than the U.S. $70-80 per square meter estimated market price.
Van Sophat, land monitoring officer for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, previously told RFA that OCIC had failed to conduct a proper assessment of their project’s environmental impact or to consult Kampong Talong villagers on the proposed development.
The villagers hold title to their land and deserve justice and fair compensation, he said.
Hundreds of police officers blocked villagers on Sept. 7 from visiting rice fields seized to build an airport, though no injuries were reported.
Villagers stopped cultivating their land three years ago, but had to start farming again because business shutdowns caused by the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia have left them without other ways to survive, a villager told RFA in an earlier report.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention, Violence (physical)
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly, Land rights, Offline, Right to liberty and security, Right to Protest
- HRD
- Land rights defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Indonesia
- Initial Date
- Sep 10, 2021
- Event Description
On 10 September 2021, General Moeldoko, the Presidential Chief of Staff officially reported human rights defenders Egi Primayogha and Miftachul Choir to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police of Jakarta for alleged defamation, related to article 27 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law and articles 310 and 311 of the criminal code. If charged, the human rights defenders could be sentenced to 6 years in prison. Egi Primayogha is a human rights defender and member of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), a prominent anti-corruption organisation in Indonesia. As a student, he was involved in various civil society movements in university, such as the student press and student co-operative movement. The human rights defender is currently working on various human rights issues such as freedom of information, access to health, and the right to natural resources. He is also vocal about the implication of politicians and business groups in human rights violations. Mifta chul Choir is a human rights defender and a short-term contract member of the Political Corruption Division of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW). His research focuses on political economy of the coal mining industry, the party financing regime and the electoral system. Prior to joining ICW, Miftachul Choir was involved with the student press and various student movement groups. Currently, he is a postgraduate student at the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP), Mahidol University. On 10 September 2021, General Moeldoko, the Presidential Chief of Staff, officially accused Egi Primayogha and Miftachul Choir of defamation and reported them to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police of Jakarta. The accusations against the human rights defenders relate to a study published by the Political Corruption Division of ICW which alleges the involvement of various public officials, in promoting the circulation of the drug Ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both human rights defenders were involved in the research and presentation of this study. On 29 July 2021, it was reported that the Presidential Chief of Staff planned to issue a subpoena against Egi Primayogha and Miftachul Choir regarding the study published by ICW. On the same day, 109 civil society organisations and community groups expressed solidarity with Egi Primayogha, Miftachul Choir and ICW and urged General Moeldoko to withdraw the subpoena. On 2 August 2021, the lawyer of the Presidential Chief of Staff sent a subpoena to ICW, specifically addressing Egi Primayogha and Miftachul Choir. The subpoena asked them to withdraw the claims made by their study and to apologise to the Presidential Chief of Staff within 24 hours. It also threatened to report the human rights defenders to the police if the demands were not met. Subsequently, two other subpoenas issued by Moeldoko were sent to Egi Primayogha and Miftachul Choir on 5 August 2021 and 20 August 2021, with similar demands and threats. In Indonesia, article 27 paragraph (3) of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law concerns defamation, and articles 310 and 311 of the Criminal Code concern attacking someone’s honor and reputation with accusations and defamation respectively. However, the Criminal Code also contains relevant justifications for the publishing of the study by the human rights defenders under Article 310 paragraph (3), which states, “it does not constitute defamation if the act is carried out in the public interest”. It has been observed by human rights defenders in Indonesia that government officials often abuse their power by using the Electronic, Information, and Transactions Law and defamation charges to silence activists or human rights defenders in the country.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19, Online
- HRD
- NGO staff
- Perpetrator-State
- Government
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Country
- Myanmar
- Initial Date
- Sep 9, 2021
- Event Description
On an August morning at a wet market in Mandalay’s industrial suburbs, a 50-year-old man was selling noodles and cheerfully greeting fellow vendors and customers alike.
Win Ko Oo was well-known for his friendliness. But not everyone who had grown familiar with his smiling face knew that he had once had a very different life.
When the year began, Win Ko Oo was a train driver with 25 years’ experience. But then the army seized power, and everything changed. As someone who had lived through the aftermath of a similar coup in 1988, he knew he had to resist the return of military rule.
A month after Myanmar’s elected civilian government was overthrown, Win Ko Oo made up his mind to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) that was sweeping the country.
“I hesitated at first because I had to think about my family. We had nowhere else to go. But in the end, my hatred for the regime outweighed my concerns about the hardships we would have to face, so I quit,” he told Myanmar Now that August morning.
Mandalay’s railway workers were among the first to join the movement in large numbers. In the department that Win Ko Oo belonged to, 285 of 319 staff members walked off the job in an effort to deny the regime control over state mechanisms.
This resulted in hundreds of railway employees and their families being forced to leave the housing compound where most of the striking workers lived.
But as one of the leaders of the protesting workers, Win Ko Oo also had another reason to worry: a warrant for his arrest on charges of incitement.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Death, Violence (physical), Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Offline, Right to healthy and safe environment, Right to life
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- Perpetrator-State
- Unknown
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Unknown
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending